Deadliest Warrior - Season H
by Metal Harbinger
Summary: Warriors of the past go head-to-head in a battle to determine who is...THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!
1. Aztec Eagle Knight vs Roman Gladiator

Deadliest Warrior – Season H  
by Metal Harbinger

Author's Note: "Deadliest Warrior" is the property of Spike TV, as for me, I'm just a loyal fan of the series who was left bummed out over its cancellation and at the same time is left pondering what could have been had they matched up fighters against different opponents and featured warriors never featured on the show.

This story will feature warriors from the show, as well as historical generals and squad battles with each side fighting it out to see who is the deadliest warrior?

I've seen various fics on this site featuring battles between fictional characters. That is something I may or may not do, but if it does happen their appearances will be few and far between.

Keep in mind though; this is an iffy idea floating around in my head, so I honestly don't know how long this fic will be. If the ideas keep coming to me I'll keep it going for a long while.

I wish to give a few shout outs to **DeadAliveManiac**, **Scarecrow'sMainFan** and **deadliest fan **for their correspondence and giving me ideas and feedback on ideas I've thrown at them to help me get this fic off the ground.

By all honesty, I'm not exactly the most accurate of history buffs, so I do welcome feedback and constructive criticism, but other than that, NO FLAMES! Failure to abide by that last order will result in me knocking on your front door with a halberd in hand!

For some last minute notes, I do not own Geoff Desmoulin, Dr. Armand Dorian, Richard "Mack" Machowicz, or Dave Baker. The weapons specialists I feature Hank and Jerry are my own original creations, I figured it would be safer to use original characters than the specialists featured on the show.

Also, whenever you see any text _that is typed out like this in italics, _that is intended to be the show's narrator speaking.

Okay I think that's everything and with that said let's get on with the story!

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Aztec Eagle Knight: The elite infantry soldiers who fought and killed in the name of their gods.

(Several eagle knights look on as their high priest sacrifices a prisoner.)

Vs.

Roman Gladiator: The proud, thrilling killer of Ancient Rome

(A gladiator delivers the final blow to his downed opponent and then roars to his adoring audience.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Aztec Eagle Knight

Circa: 1500 A.D.

Height: 5' 6"

Weight: 140 lbs.

Armor:

Cuacalalatli Wooden Helmet

Ichcahuipilli Tunic

Leather Greaves

Chimalli Shield

Roman Gladiator

Circa: 100 A.D.

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 185 lbs.

Armor:

Murmillo Helmet

Leather Belt

Lorica Manica

Galerus

Wooden Shield

"This is going to be an interesting matchup," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "Today you have two warriors who fought for vastly different causes compared to most warriors.

"On one side, you have the Eagle Knight, whose main purpose was to capture enemies alive so they could be sacrificed to their gods and on the other; you have a Gladiator, who often fought to the death for entertainment."

"My money is on the gladiator," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin explained, "They had an assortment of weapons crafted for the specific purpose of killing your enemies, nothing else, most of which here were made of hardened steel, ten times as deadly as the obsidian the eagle knights crafted into their weapons. The audacity with which they fought is still known to this day and my bet is that the Eagle Knight is going to be just another victim."

"I'm going to give the edge on this one to the eagle knight," Dr. Armand Dorian countered, "These men were highly-trained warriors who were good at what they did, whereas most gladiators were either slaves or criminals. I can see the gladiator being prepped for sacrifice as we speak."

_Eagle warriors, or eagle knights, were a special class of infantry soldier in the Aztec army. Along with their Jaguar counterparts, they consisted of the bravest soldiers of noble birth._

"The 'Eagles' were soldiers of the sun," Mack explained, "Their life was one of constant battle and their primary purpose for this continual warfare was to take prisoners to be sacrificed by their gods.

_At the age of 17, young Aztec men entered their formal military training. In order to achieve adult status, a boy had to capture his first prisoner._

_ To become an eagle knight, a warrior was expected to capture up to 20 enemies alive._

"It might not have always been their objective to kill their enemy on the battlefield, but they were still the elite warriors of their day," Mack finished.

_The Eagle Knight brings a deadly assortment of weapons to today's battle:_

Short Range: Tecpatl

Mid-Range: Maquahuitl

Long Range: Tlahhuitolli

Special Weapon: Tepoztopilli

_But today, they will be going up against a ruthless adversary that shows no signs of backing down._

_ Gladiators were most often captured soldiers from rival armies or condemned criminals who were selected for their ferocity, strength and skill. In Ancient Rome they entertained the public with bloody battles to the death._

"Gladiators were scrappy individuals," Mack explained, "They were literally expected to die without asking for mercy or even crying out in pain. Very rarely was a loser allowed to leave alive. They had to fight courageously and win over the crowd's sympathy, most often; they became food for the lions.

_To ensure the best spectacle possible, a gladiator was trained in the art of killing, using a wide range of lethal, crowd-pleasing weapons: _

Short Range: Scissor

Mid-Range: Trident & Net

Long Range: Sling

Special Weapon: Sica

_Both teams will start out up close and personal with their deadly short range weapons, going up first will be the eagle knight with his Tecpatl sacrificial knife._

"The tecpatl was often used for ceremonial purposes, but was still carried into battle as a sidearm," weapons maker Dave Baker explained, having recreated an intricate replica of the aforementioned weapon, "It consisted of a double-sided obsidian blade attached to either a stone or wooden handle. It was typically seven to nine inches overall in length and half a pound."

_Here in the fight club, a makeshift altar has been set up and one of our weapons experts will carry out a mock ritual sacrifice to show the typical usage of the dagger. A ballistic gel torso will stand in for the exercise, possessing the same resistance as human flesh._

"Alright, Hank I want you to show us exactly how this is done," Geoff explained as Hank looked on with the dagger in hand, "Whenever you are ready!"

Hank nodded and made his way over to the platform and with a mighty grunt, plunged the blade into the torso's chest, slicing it open from its sternum down to its navel, shoving his hand inside and methodically reaching his hand beneath its ribcage and after a few tugs, ripped out the fake heart inside.

"There is no need for me to even put my gloves on for this one," Dr. Dorian chuckled, "You have performed primitive open heart surgery and in a way different from modern medicine. In a typical operation, we literally have to saw right through the sternum in order to get at the heart, but you literally reached underneath the ribcage to pull it out!"

"Heh, that's real cute there, but the weapon I'm about to use isn't about putting on some fancy production, it's all about killing your enemy!" Jerry spoke up, unimpressed with his arms crossed in front of him and shaking his head.

_The Roman Gladiator answers with the Scissor._

"The Roman Scissor was a distinctive bladed weapon wielded by a class of gladiator known simply as 'the scissor,'" Dave said presenting the weapon, "Eighteen inches, five pounds of hardened steel. It's a crescent-shaped blade on the end of a metal tube worn over the forearm. There was a handle inside that allowed the user to maintain his grip during the heat of battle. It's a very versatile weapon, it can slash you, stab you, plus the tube itself could also double as a means of blocking your foe's attacks."

Jerry proudly showed off the scissor for all to see, earning a scoff from Hank.

"Okay Jerry, to demonstrate what the scissor can do, we have set up a four-hundred pound beef carcass," Geoff said motioning to the aforementioned carcass suspended from the ceiling nearby, "When I give the signal, I want you to show us what it can do."

"You got it," the weapons expert said taking his position in front of the carcass.

"Alright, high speed cameras have been set up. Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Born ready," Jerry shouted back.

"Alright, then on 3…2…1! Cut 'em up!"

With a mighty roar, Jerry shot his covered arm out and punched his way through the slab, getting his arm stuck. Yanking his arm hard, he managed to pull it out and then kept punching away until he had cut the meat in half.

"Fresh meat anyone?" Jerry asked proud of his work.

"Judging by what I see here, you likely wouldn't kill this man with the initial strike," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the cuts, "What would kill him though is the brutal ending you have. That blade is going to get lodged and is going to likely pull out the man's intestines along with it, especially with how you struggled to pull it out, that only contribute to the suffering right there. You keep that up; you would eventually dismember the man's upper torso."

"You might have more reach, but it's still a lot slower," Hank interjected, "While you're trying one slow swipe, I could be jumping you and filling you full of holes. The tecpatl might be small, but it's faster and twice as lethal!"

_But what do our experts think?_

"While it is faster and less likely to get stuck, the bottom line is the tecpatl is still a knife and lacks the reach of the scissor," Geoff explained.

"Indeed, while the eagle knight may be going up against a lightly-armored opponent, still he would have to get up close and personal and given some of the weapons the gladiator has, that could be next to impossible," Dr. Dorian added.

"Also, the tecpatl cannot slash. If it does, it breaks," Mack said chipping in his two cents.

"While it may be slower and more prone to get stuck, plus leaving the wearer with only one available hand, still the scissor does its job," Geoff replied.

"Indeed, the scissor was built for the purpose of combat, whereas the tecpatl was a largely ceremonial dagger that would most likely be used as an absolute last resort," Dr. Dorian explained.

"Well, I think it's safe to say we've all made our decision, edge: Scissor," Mack spoke.

"I'm definitely going with the scissor on this one," Geoff nodded.

"Same here," Dr. Dorian added.

_In short range weapons, the gladiator's scissor takes the edge._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out their mid-range arsenal. An 'obsidian chainsaw' goes up against a three-barbed killer of the ocean._

XXXXX

_Now it is time for both warriors to break out their mid-range weapons, up first will be the eagle knight with the Maquahuitl sword club._

"The maquahuitl was a wooden oar-like weapon used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, one of high status in the Aztec army," Dave explained as he handed the replica over to Hank, "It had sharpened obsidian blades inserted into grooves along the sides. It was used like a sword, although its cutting action was more akin to a saw, could sever heads with little to no difficulty. The flat wooden sides could also be used to bludgeon an opponent into unconsciousness. It was four feet long and weighed three pounds."

"A deadly looking weapon indeed, one that makes me nervous just looking at it," Geoff explained before turning his attention to a nearby pedestal, where there was a hunk of ballistic gel shaped into the head of a horse, "There was at least one account of the maquahuitl beheading a horse and today we're going to test that theory out. Hank, will you do the honors?"

"With pleasure," Hank smiled walking over to the fake horse head.

"Whenever you are ready, show us how it's done!" Geoff shouted.

Taking a deep breath, Hank swung the maquahuitl at the fake horse head, cutting into it and breaking its spine. Taking another swing, he took another swing and cut further before rearing back and going even further, sawing the rest of his way through.

"My god, that was more like a chainsaw than a sword, once again the results are plain as day, kill," Dr. Dorian said picking up the severed ballistic gel head for all to see.

"Heh, that takes too freaking long. In the time it takes you to saw through Mr. Ed's head I could be running you through fifty times with my mid-range weapon," Jerry scoffed.

Hank smirked to his fellow weapons specialist and looked over to a foam torso outfitted with a Murmillo helmet. Walking over to it he swung the sword club downward, denting the helmet and then swinging it sideways to cleave the dummy's head clean off.

"Satisfied now?" Hank sarcastically chuckled.

Jerry harrumphed and made his way over to where the next mid-range weapon was located.

_The gladiator responds with the trident and net combination._

"The trident was originally a fishing tool that was later used in the coliseum by a class of gladiator known as the 'retiarius.' It was six feet long and weighed four pounds, three barbed steel prongs on the end, which inflicted more damage as the weapon was pulled from the body," Dave explained before holding up the net, "The net was circular with lead weights around the edge and was attached to the gladiator's wrist by means of a rope. It was intended to entangle the opponent's limbs or torso, allowing the gladiator to follow up with a strike from the trident."

_To simulate the damage that could be inflicted upon a human being, the team has set up a ballistic gel torso and has outfitted it with an Ichcahuipilli tunic worn by the eagle warriors into battle. The cotton breastplate was made from quilted cotton several fingers thick, then soaked in saltwater brine and dried, making it harder to be penetrated by the light projectiles Aztecs frequently encountered, while at the same time not being excessively heavy in the tropical Central American climate._

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff called out setting up the high speed camera.

"Hell yeah!" he shouted back.

"Alright, on 3…2…1, punch it!" Geoff ordered.

Jerry tossed the net and entangled his inanimate foe before stepping forward and thrusting the trident into chest, piercing the tunic like it was made of paper and pulling it out with pieces of the artificial heart inside stuck on the barbs before thrusting a little lower into the abdomen and coming out with bits of intestine, before making his final thrust into the torso's throat, severing its windpipe and spinal cord.

"Hope you got the point," Jerry said to his inanimate adversary, the floor beneath it covered in fake blood.

"With your first thrust you ripped up the man's heart, your second tore large parts of his intestines out and your last cut off his ability to breathe and severed the C4 column of his spine. These are all kills," Dr. Dorian reported.

_Both weapons are definitely lethal, but where do our experts stand?_

"Any weapon that can decapitate a horse that easily has to be tough, plus it's something totally different from any weapon we've ever seen on this show. My edge goes to the maquahuitl ," Geoff said.

"This is a weapon you have diversity with. You can slash with it like a sword and bonk your enemy over the head like a club, the maquahuitl all the way in my book," Mack answered.

"Even if you survive being slashed by it, pieces of obsidian are still going to get stuck in your body and if that gets into your bloodstream, it's a dire situation, edge maquahuitl," Dr. Dorian finished.

_The eagle knight takes the edge in mid-range weapons with the maquahuitl._

_ Coming up, both sides will break out their long range arsenal._

XXXXX

_Now it is time for both sides to show their long range weapons. Up first will be the Roman gladiator with his simple, yet lethal sling._

"The sling is a very basic, but deadly weapon made from two leather cords, in some cases braided wool, and has a small leather pouch in the middle. It can fire lead bullets, stones or any other small projectiles found lying around," Dave explained.

"Aw how cute, you brought a few tiny rocks and your G-string along," Hank taunted, "This oughta' be interesting to watch."

Jerry ignored him and approached the line where three skulls were set up in front of him, loading a rock into the sling he swung it above his head and launched it at the first skull, shattering its jaw and knocking out a few teeth. Loading up another rock, he swung the sling a few times before launching it right into the center of the skull's forehead, leaving a noticeable crack. Readying his third rock, he launched it into the third skull's left eye.

"Alright, your first shot succeeded in breaking the jaw, not going to be a kill, but will hurt your enemy and definitely come back to haunt him later," Dr. Dorian explained before making his way over to the second skull, "This is a depressed skull fracture, not going to be an instant kill, but if left untreated anywhere between 6 to 10 hours, it will be a kill," Dr. Dorian said before making his way over to the third skull, "Now this would have taken out your opponent's eye. Could it be a kill? Depending upon the amount of force it could possibly sever the brain stem, a possible kill."

"Granted, this is just bare bones we're talking about here," Geoff said wheeling forth a ballistic gel bust outfitted with a Cuacalalatli wooden helmet worn by eagle warriors, "Let's see how it works out against simulated flesh."

Undaunted by the results of the previous test, Jerry stepped up loaded a rock into his sling and spun it around a few times before launching it right into the dummy's nose with a sickening _'thwack.'_

Dr. Dorian walked over and removed the wooden helmet to inspect the damage, "With this last strike you managed to hit the nose. The softest part of the skull is behind the nose and this was hard enough to cause a fracture because you are striking at the bottom of the brain, this would be a kill."

"Just remember that you have to swing that around before you're able to release the rock. In that amount of time, I could be running up and slicing your head off with the maquahutil," Hank said, "Not only that, but would you be able to hit me from a farther away range? My next weapon can do just that!"

"The Tlahhuitolli bow was a common sight in combat against the Aztecs," Dave explained, "The bow was 5 feet long and the arrows, or 'yaomime,' were pointed with flint, bone or obsidian. It is believed the arrows could fly 450 feet or more."

Hank walked over to the indoor firing range carrying six arrows in a quiver called a 'mixiquipilli,' where a gel torso dressed like a gladiator has been set up.

"Alright Hank, you've been given six arrows, I want you to fire two shots at the head, two at the body and two at the shield. You may fire when ready," Geoff explained.

With a nod Hank took aim and fired his first arrow towards the torso's helmeted head, the arrow bouncing harmlessly off its bronze surface. Undeterred by the failed attempt, he loaded the next arrow and fired, the arrow traveling right through one of the slits which the gladiator used to see out of and eliciting a roar of awe from everybody else in attendance.

"Holy sh-t," Geoff and Mack cried in unison.

Smirking with pride, the archer loaded his next arrow and fired a round dead center in the torso's heart before going for the next and catching it a little lower. Next it was time for shield and Hank fired both arrows in succession, both of them finding their mark in the wooden shield.

"Oh my god, this has to be some of the deadliest shooting I've ever seen with a bow and arrow," Geoff said walking over to the torso and carefully removing the Murmillo helmet, revealing the arrow traveled through the right eye and was protruding from the back of the fake skull.

"You have just severed the brain stem, instant kill," Dr. Dorian said before traveling lower and pulling out the two arrows from the torso's upper body, "Your first shot penetrated the heart, instant kill; your second cut the small intestines in half, instant kill."

Geoff then walked over to remove the shield, "Both of your arrows stick through to the other side, but not anywhere near to injure the user's hand underneath."

"To me it's a no brainer as to which weapon takes the edge in this category, Tlahhuitolli all the way," Geoff chimed.

"I agree, the sling requires a certain distance for it to be effective and not only that, you need ample space for the wind up, with the Tlahhuitolli you can fire it from any distance," Dr. Dorian answered.

"This is an obvious choice, greater range, superior accuracy, faster rate of fire and greater lethality, edge Tlahhuitolli," Mack finished.

_For long range weapons, the eagle knight takes the edge with the Tlahhuitolli bow._

_ Coming up, both sides break out their special weapons and then after that, we finally have a battle between two fearsome warriors to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior?'_

XXXXX

_And now the time has come for both sides to unveil their special weapons._

"The tepoztopilli was a common frontline weapon in the Aztec military," Dave said displaying the lengthy weapon, "It was a pole arm that could sometimes measure more than seven feet tall and had a broad wooden head about a foot wide made of smaller obsidian blades. It's good for either slashing or thrusting, tough enough to pierce Spanish armor."

"Heh, looks like nothing but a giant toothpick to me," Jerry scoffed.

"Alright Hank, we've set up a three-hundred pound piece of beef filled with animal blood and entrails," Geoff said leading him over to the suspended slab, "I think you know what to do from here."

Hank nodded, taking his position in front of the waiting slab and getting into a battle ready stance.

"Hank, are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Yeah!" the specialist shouted back.

"On 3…2…1…serve it up!" Geoff shouted.

Hank launched himself towards the slab, driving the spear through with a wet _'thuk'_ that tore a large hole into his target, yet it became stuck and he struggled to pull it out, ripping away some of the obsidian blades in the process. He went for another stab and went even further, pulling out a few entrails before going for the final thrust and leaving the tepoztopilli hanging out.

"Well you managed to get this spear all the way through," Dr. Dorian said closely examining the hole on the opposite end, "and you managed to pull out some entrails along the way," he said motioning to the innards littering the floor beneath, "all of which would have been definite kills."

"I'm impressed by what I saw, but at the same time I'm a little concerned," Geoff said walking over and pulling the tepoztopilli out of the slab, ripping off more obsidian shards, "This weapon can kill, but at the same time it appears that it can become easily lodged within its target. If you're fighting a battle against multiple opponents, this right here could leave your man open to all sorts of attacks. If he wanted to survive he would have to abandon the weapon and go for his sidearm, another thing you don't always want to have to do in a battle."

"That plus it seems this weapon can break a little too easily if too much force is applied," Mack said closely examining the shaft and noticing the cracks, "If this becomes stuck in an opponent, you've lost a weapon."

"I won't lie, my special weapon might not be as long as that toothpick there, but it is a lot faster, has more surgical precision behind it, and is less likely to get stuck," Jerry spoke up.

"The sica was a short sword seen as a weapon associated with criminals, but was later adopted into gladiatorial bouts, used by a class of gladiator known as the 'Thraex.' Early sicas had a sharply-curved, single-sided blade, but later designs would have a straight, double-edged blade, its upper third bent backwards at a 45 degree angle. It was 30 inches long and weighed 2.5 pounds," Dave said before handing the sica to Jerry, who then took a few practice swings with it.

"The angled blade was designed to reach around the shield of the gladiator's opponent. With a tip that pointed up, it would often catch onto the bottom of the opponent's helmet, allowing the user to force the blade upwards through the jaw and into the brain."

"Then show us how it's done," Geoff said motioning towards a ballistic gel torso outfitted in Aztec armor and holding a chimalli in one hand.

"He wouldn't even stand a chance. While he's over there doing calisthenics I could be impaling him with the tepoztopilli," Hank scoffed to Mack and Dr. Dorian.

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff called out with the high speed camera ready.

"Yeah!" he screamed.

"On 3…2…1…hack 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry stepped forward and swiped the blade so it got behind the chimalli and sliced into the arm holding it, coming centimeters away from severing the gel limb. Wasting no time he punched it through the tunic and ripped the blade out, swinging it upward and slicing through his target's neck before bringing the blade down and splintering the wooden helmet.

"Now I see why this sword was so greatly feared," Dr. Dorian said lowering the chimalli to inspect the damage, "With your first strike you're cutting through skin and muscle tissue all the way down to the bone. You don't stop the bleeding that will be a kill," he said before pulling shredded fragments of the tunic aside, "Here you've struck the aorta, another instant kill," he said before moving his hands up, "and here, oh my god you've turned this guy into a human Pez dispenser, the damage speaks for itself."

"With the blow to the helmet I registered 15 P.S.I." Geoff reported removing the now splintered helmet, "That's not enough to kill, but judging by your movements; you've disoriented this man and left him wide open."

"That little toy of yours is only two and a half feet long, the tepoztopilli is seven feet of pure cutting power, there's no way in hell I'd ever allow you to get that close to me," Hank said eying up the damage, "You'd be stuck like a pig before you knew it."

_Both weapons appear to inflict massive amounts of trauma upon their targets, but our experts remain divided._

"The tepoztopilli is seven feet of pure cutting madness. I honestly don't think there is going to be any way a gladiator could get close enough with any of his weapons," Dr. Dorian said watching the slow motion footage of Hank's assault upon the slab of beef, "Not only that, you're doing twice as much damage when pulling the spear out and the gladiator isn't armored in enough places to protect himself. He's basically got one huge target painted on his chest."

"I have to disagree with you on this one Doc, while it can no doubt kill a man, the tepoztopilli looks to be pretty cumbersome if your opponent is allowed to get right up in your face like that. Not only that, we've seen how difficult it can be to pull out when you've got it stuck too deeply into an enemy, you'd be wasting precious seconds trying to pull it out. What also worries me is that it appears to brittle and can break very easily if too much force is applied," Geoff explained before looking over to the sica, "The sica on the other hand doesn't have that issue."

The crucial tie-breaker came down to Mack.

"I have to go with the sica on this one. It can go around shields and can easily pierce any armor the eagle knight has."

_For special weapons, the gladiator takes the edge with the sica._

_ Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"For training we gave the eagle knight an 81 to the gladiator's 71. Granted the eagle knight only had to catch a certain amount of people to attain his ranking, but the gladiators were predominantly slaves or criminals."

"For ferocity, we give both men a 90 even. Gladiators had to be scrappy and fought for their survival, whereas the eagle knight fought for his gods and even though they didn't always fight to kill their enemies, they could still be downright brutal when the time called for it."

"For physicality, we give the gladiator the edge with a 94 to the eagle knight's 82. While the eagle has less energy to give with some of his weapons, the gladiator was forced to fight. Saying no was an option that would have had him fed to the lions; the eagle knight on the other hand had the option of retreating when things got hairy."

"For endurance this was a very close call. We gave the gladiator a 93 because he had to fight through pain and injuries, plus he fought against enemies who were oftentimes better equipped than him and even against wild animals. The eagle knight on the other hand often fought in groups and would have backup on hand if something went wrong, so we rated him slightly lower with an 85."

"Lastly, there's killer instinct. This was quite a gap where the gladiator got a 90 and the eagle knight got a 75. Again given his conditions, the gladiator _had_ to be brutal and was only allowed to spare his opponent if they had won over the crowd's sympathy, whereas the eagle knight didn't always kill on the battlefield, he would take prisoners."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_ Who will a battle between two very different styles?_

_ Strength and Stamina_

(A gladiator is shown bashing an opponent hard with his shield before gutting him with the scissors.)

_Speed and Agility_

(An eagle knight performs a graceful flip off a nearby tree to tackle his opponent and stab them with the tecpat.)

_Steel_

(A gladiator uses his sica to work his way around his opponent's shield and slash them across the chest.)

_Obsidian_

(An eagle warrior uses his maquahuitl to slice into a stumbling opponent while another runs one through with his tepoztopilli.)

_Killing for entertainment_

(A gladiator stands tall over his fallen opponent with his trident in hand ready to deliver the final strike, waiting for the 'thumbs down' gesture from the emperor.)

_Killing for the gods_

(An Aztec high priest is shown raising the still beating heart of a fresh sacrifice into the air as the masses cheer below.)

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

The eagle knight walks alone through the sweltering Central American rainforest, looking for his next target. Thus far there had been no luck, but he wasn't going to let that deter him and he continued forth until he reached an open clearing, coming to a halt as he suddenly noticed a strange light-skinned figure standing on the hill before him, clad in very little armor and wearing a strange helmet with a wooden shield in hand.

On the opposite end the Roman gladiator had recently escaped from his captors and now suddenly found himself in a strange new land. Standing before him was one of the apparent inhabitants, a smaller man who held a shield in on hand lined with eagle feathers and wearing a strange costume that almost made him look like an eagle. Whoever he was, he was armed for battle and no doubt wouldn't let him pass without a fight.

With a mighty roar the gladiator raises his trident and makes his advance.

The newcomer is a hostile and looking for a fight. Reaching for an arrow in his quiver, the eagle warrior pulls out his Tlahhuitolli bow and loads the arrow. Taking aim he fires the arrow into the air and there is a loud_ 'thunk' _as the arrow strikes his opponent's shield, yet the strange man continues forth. Quickly pulling out another arrow, he loads it and fires, the arrow sailing past the gladiator's head and landing in the dirt behind him. Still, the mystery man continued forth and the eagle warrior fires a third arrow, which finally catches him in the side of his stomach.

Grunting in pain, the gladiator stuck his trident in the ground next to him and with a mighty yank rips the arrow out of his side and tosses it to the ground, much to the eagle warrior's surprise. Pulling out his sling the gladiator swung it around and launched a rock at his opponent, which pinged harmlessly off of his chimalli.

The eagle knight could see that his opponent would be no pushover and needed to get enough distance between them before he could contemplate a new plan of attack. Loading another arrow into his bow he fired, but his hasty movements caused his shot to go wide as the gladiator launched another rock which flew harmlessly past the retreating warrior.

There was no way the gladiator would allow someone who had spilled his blood to escape without a little payback. Retrieving his trident he chased the weird little man further into the rainforest, the eagle warrior leaping gracefully over a fallen tree trunk while he was forced to run around it.

Having created enough space, the eagle warrior eventually withdrew his tepoztopilli and used a tree branch to create some more space between himself and the gladiator, thrusting through to ward off the man's advance. The gladiator would respond with his trident and both weapons became entangled, a struggle ensuing between both men which the bigger man would win, kicking his opponent to the ground and stepping on his spear, breaking it in half.

With one of his weapons lost the eagle warrior attempted to retreat, only to find himself falling to the ground again as the gladiator tossed his net, tripping and ensnaring his prey. With his opponent at his mercy, he attempted to stab the three-pronged weapon downward into the eagle warrior's head, but the Aztec quickly rolled aside and out of desperation, reached into his holster where he kept his trusty tecpatl. Waiting for his enemy to attempt another strike, he rolled aside and sliced into the gladiator's exposed calf.

His opponent temporarily subdued, the eagle warrior kicked the net off and scampered over to a nearby rock, where he had hidden his maquahuitl and reclaimed his chimalli.

Forcing himself back to his feet the gladiator let out a frustrated roar and began to circle his opponent, his only thought being to kill the man and take his head as a prize.

Both men eyed each other cautiously as they circled each other for several tense seconds, their shields in one hand and respective mid-range weapons in the other. The enraged gladiator was first to act, thrusting his trident outward, the barbs becoming embedded in the wooden chimalli, the eagle warrior bringing his maquahuitl down and slicing through the trident's wooden shaft.

Undaunted, the gladiator reached for his sica and charged towards his opponent, both men's shields clashing, but the Roman used his superior strength and size to back the Aztec into a nearby tree and went to slash with his sword, but the smaller man moved his head at the last second and the blade became embedded in his wooden helmet, but not far enough to cut into his skull. Out of desperation the eagle knight shot his sword club out and managed to rake it across his opponent's side before swinging it upwards and knocking the man's fish-like helmet off with a loud _'dong.'_

The gladiator fell backwards as the obsidian cut into his exposed flesh and his head still ringing from the follow up swing, hit hard enough his jaw had been cracked. He had experienced worse in his previous battles and wasn't going to let some scratch slow him down and cracked his neck back into place.

The eagle knight threw his now splintered helmet off and went for another overhead swing with his maquahuitl, only to meet the gladiator's wooden shield, his opponent slicing into his side with the sica in an area left unguarded by his tunic, again finding himself knocked to the ground after taking a hard backhanded shot from his opponent's shield.

Filled with the bravado, the gladiator tossed his shield aside and slipped his scissor on, charging forward as the bloodied eagle struggled back to his feet. His Aztec adversary saw him coming and attempted another strike with his maquahuitl, but he brought his scissor up to deflect the blow, breaking off several obsidian shards in the process and beginning to slash the eagle across his stomach through the tunic, wanting to make it slow and painful so he could savor the moment as he looked into the injured man's dark eyes.

Knowing his time would be up if he didn't act fast, the eagle warrior shot his foot out and kicked the gladiator in his already injured calf, forcing him backward.

His kill again having slipped through his fingers, the gladiator yet again pushed himself back to his feet just as the Aztec was reaching down for his strange sword club and he shot his scissor outward, only for his opponent to move out of the way at the last second, the crescent-shaped blade driving into the tree trunk and becoming stuck.

With his opponent stuck and hampered by his injuries, the eagle knight took advantage and swung his maquahuitl outward, striking the gladiator in his lower back with the blunt side and hearing some of his bones break. Turning the blade sideways he again raked it along the man's back at a diagonal angle, tearing deep into his flesh and spilling his blood out in a gruesome display. Weakened by the rapid blood loss the gladiator passed out and collapsed to the ground.

His opponent was unconscious, but still alive. He had been a worthy adversary and would be a worthwhile sacrifice to the gods.

Withdrawing his bloodstained tecpatl the eagle warrior knelt over his fallen opponent and drove the obsidian blade into the man's still warm chest, cutting through methodically and reaching in he pulled out the man's still beating heart, raising it high above his head and roaring to the heavens in victory.

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Winner: Aztec Eagle Knight

Aztec Eagle Knight:

Tecpatl: 32

Maquahuitl: 319

Tlahhuitolli: 106

Tepoztopill: 210

Total: 667

Roman Gladiator:

Scissor: 50

Trident & Net: 166

Sling: 1

Sica: 116

Total: 333

_In a battle of two comparatively primitive warriors, the Aztec eagle knight proved to be the deadlier warrior, scoring a relatively lopsided victory with 3 of his 4 weapons scoring kills in the triple digits, his maquahuitl being the deadliest followed closely by the tepoztopilli. The gladiator's deadliest weapon proved to be his trident and net combination._

"I think the eagle warrior's training and combative tactics played a large part in his victory," Geoff explained, "Despite his access to steel and the fact that he fought nearly every day for the sake of his life, the gladiator was a coliseum fighter used to straightforward battles, whereas the eagle warrior often fought with guerilla-style tactics as part of a group. It was that, plus the gladiator wore little to no armor in the most important places, leaving him wide open to plenty of vulnerable attacks.

(The eagle knight is shown presenting the defeated gladiator's heart to a high priest, his fallen foe's sica now strapped to his side, a trophy of his conquest.)

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_Next time on Deadliest Warrior: It's a battle of the two heavily-armored killing machines that followed strict codes of conduct._

Samurai: The disciplined warrior class of Feudal Japan known for their skill in Bushido and Kendo.

Vs.

Knight: Fully armored sword masters of Medieval Europe who fought in the name of God for their countries.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

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Author's Note: And so concludes my first "episode" of "Deadliest Warrior – Season H" and I hope you all enjoyed it.

Honestly, there might be some parts that are historically inaccurate and if that turns out to be the case I apologize to all the hardcore history nuts out there. I do accept constructive criticism and I know there are some of you out there who may not agree with the end results of my fights; mostly this is just me going by my gut when I compare the weapons and tactics of both sides.

At this point I have ideas for most of the warriors whom I wish to feature in this story and aside from the "Knight vs. Samurai" fight I do have a few definite ideas planned after this bout, but I do welcome suggestions.

Regarding my original characters who act as the weapons specialists, Hank is physically inspired by Pitfall Harry Jr. from "Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure" and Jerry is inspired by Super Joe from Capcom's "Commando" run and gun, vertically scrolling shooter.

Until then all you can do is read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	2. Knight vs Samurai

Author's Note: I apologize for the delay following the first chapter, but planning out this chapter has definitely proven to be tougher than I expected given the popularity of these two warriors, a debate that would very likely cause the kind of tensions you'd find in a presidential debate. Nevertheless, I have done what I can to soldier on to bring you the next installment of "Season H." I want to give a very special thank you to **deadliestfan, DeadAliveManiac **and **Cloud Link Zero **for their input in regards to helping me plan out ideas for this next chapter, in addition to them also being my first 3 reviews!

For a few things to get out of the way, first up, the knight who will be featured in this battle is based upon the same 15th-century fully-armored knight as shown on the TV show. France was famous for their exceptional knights and was a superpower during the Middle Ages.

Lastly, I will be replacing the kanabo with the wakizashi as the samurai's special weapon (DeadAliveManiac's idea). My reason for omitting the kanabo was because it was rarely used in battle, mainly serving as a symbol of the demons of Japanese folklore.

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Knight: Sword-wielding slayer of the Middle Ages.

(A knight is shown impaling an adversary with his broadsword.)

Vs.

Samurai: Japan's lightning fast dealer of death

(A samurai prepares to take on multiple attackers with his katana.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Knight:

Circa: 1423

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Armor:

Steel Basinet

Steel Plate Suit of Armor

Heater Shield

Samurai:

Circa: 1550

Height: 5' 3"

Weight: 135 lbs.

Armor:

Kabuto Helmet

Do-maru

"I can sense this is going to be a very close matchup to call," Mack stated, "You have two heavily-armored, heavily-disciplined warriors known for their adherence to strict codes of honor and famed for their respective swordsmanship.

"Either way, this is set to be a very polarizing matchup. No doubt it will be one of the closest battles as well."

"I'm going with the knight on this one," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin stated, "He has the size, the strength, the more durable armor and he's got the greater reach thanks to his halberd."

"I'm with the samurai in this battle," Dr. Armand Dorian responded, "They were quick on their feet, more disciplined and had the better sword of the two. I think the samurai will be adding another head to his collection."

_Knights were members of the elite warrior class of the European Middle Ages who followed a code of law known as 'chivalry.' They earned their legendary reputations as warriors during the Crusades, believing they were on a divine mission from God to retake the 'Holy Lands' from their Muslim occupants._

"They had honor, but they were killers," Mack explained, "They were the elite, the Green Berets of their day."

_Getting their start battling Vikings, Magyars and Saracens, the first military orders would include the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar. Intended as monastic orders, their members acted as soldiers protecting pilgrims. Following the successful conquest of the Holy Land and the rise of the crusader states, those orders became powerful and prestigious._

_ "_It would have been their mission to defend the land from invaders, in this case being the samurai," Mack finished.

_The knight rides into battle with an assortment of weapons that helped craft his bloody legacy:_

Short Range: Broadsword

Mid-Range: Halberd

Long Range: Crossbow

Special Weapon: Morningstar

_Their opponent today is a combatant with their own place in the pantheon of warriors, their Far Eastern counterpart._

_ Meaning 'to serve,' the samurai were a fierce breed of warrior who served the Emperor. Eventually amassing enough manpower, resources and political backing in the form of alliances to one another, many were soon able to develop their own armies._

"The samurai believed an educated warrior was a deadly warrior," Mack explained, "They trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat. They would truly be unlike anything the knight had ever seen before."

_The samurai were the masters of various weapons and today they bring with them:_

Short Range: Katana

Mid-Range: Naginata

Long Range: Yumi

Special Weapon: Wakizashi

_Here in the fight club we will be conducting more than one test to test the killing ability of each short range weapon. First up we test the knight's most iconic weapon._

"The broadsword was a double-edged, straight-bladed sword made of tempered steel that could slash, stab, hack and bludgeon," weapons maker Dave Baker explained displaying his perfectly crafted replica, "It was three feet long and weighed four pounds."

Jerry was on hand with the broadsword, practicing both one-handed and two-handed techniques before approaching a torso made of ballistic gel.

"Alright Jerry, I want you to show us some of what this bad boy can do," Geoff said motioning towards the torso, "I want you to stab, slash and bludgeon our stand-in samurai here."

"Can do," the weapons expert nodded taking his position.

"High speed cameras have been set up, Jerry are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Hell yeah," Jerry called back.

"Alright, then on 3…2…1, show him some rough justice!"

Drawing his arms backward Jerry delivered a painful strike to the inanimate subject's stomach, hard enough to slice it open and leave its fake innards spilling out before going for a blunt strike that shattered a few of its ribs, then delivering a stab to the dummy's chest and finishing with another long-winded swing that severed its head.

"Your first slash would be a definite mortal wound," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the damage while pulling the strips of makeshift flesh back, "This guy's going to bleed to death within minutes and if his intestines come spilling out, gonna be a whole lot faster," he said before examining the shattered ribs, transparent thanks to the gel, "You also shattered two of the man's ribs, not going to kill him alone, but there is a high probability bone fragments would puncture his lung at this angle, going to cause him a lot of trouble unless he's able to get to a doctor right away," he explained before inspecting the whole left by the stab, "With this stab, you turned the man's heart to mincemeat, no question about that and your last strike, another no brainer, no pun intended," the doctor joked as he prodded the now severed head lying on the floor, which had split open from the rear.

"I'll admit that is impressive, but you haven't seen nothing yet when you've seen my sword in action," Hank spoke up from the background.

_The samurai answers with his own iconic blade of death and destruction._

"The katana is a single-edged blade that stands 30 inches long and weighs three pounds," Dave explained, "It is crafted from a specialized form of high carbon steel called 'Tamahagane,' hard, high carbon steel for the cutting edge and sides, and a tough, low carbon steel for the core and back, giving it a hard edge while allowing it to absorb blows without shattering."

Hank quickly unsheathed the katana and took a few practice swipes to show off its speed before gracefully holstering the blade and bowing to Jerry, who scoffed.

"Keep in mind there are various forms of martial arts which incorporate the katana, including Iaido and Kenjutsu," Hank explained before making his way over to an area set up by the hosts where three rolled up bamboo mats.

"Alright Hank, we've set up three tatami bamboo mats, which are rated as having the same density as human bone," Geoff explained, "This experiment is specifically for showing off the katana's speed. When you are ready you will show us what it can do."

"Gonna be like shooting fish in a barrel," Hank commented before looking down to the blade in its scabbard, "or cutting I should say."

"Hank, are you ready?"

"Hai!" the weapons expert replied.

"On 3…2…1! Do it!" Geoff shouted.

With a deep breath, Hank gripped the katana's pommel and in less than the blink of an eye, all three were sliced in half.

"That is impressive. You have just scored three kills in one swipe in under a third of a second," Dr. Dorian explained before leading the swordsman over to another station where a stack of pig carcasses was set up. "A katana is known as a 'Two Body Blade' and we are going to put that theory to the test and in doing so, you will practice on a stack of pigs, since we aren't allowed to practice on the corpses of convicts like the actual samurai did."

"Very well," Hank said getting into position.

"High speed cameras are up. On 3…2…1!" Geoff called out.

With another deep breath, Hank swung the katana downward into the pile, cutting cleanly through two of the five pigs, able to pull his blade out with little problem.

"You have sliced through two of the five pigs, severing both their vertebrae, instant kills," Dr. Dorian explained.

"We've seen what these two weapons can do to bare flesh, but now let's test them up against each other's armor," Geoff said.

_Both gel torsos will be outfitted with the armor of their respective opponents, the broadsword being tested against the samurai's do-maru and the katana being tested against the steel chest plate worn by the knight._

"Alright gentlemen, on the count of three I want you each to both slash and then stab at your respective opponent's armor. Can you do that for me?" Geoff called out.

"Hell yeah," Hank and Jerry called out in unison, each man standing before his inanimate armored opponent and giving one final smirk to the other.

"Then on 3…2…1, show us what you've got!"

Jerry swung his broadsword at the armored torso's stomach, managing to leave a sizeable dent, but no apparent penetration, while Hank's katana struck the cuirass hard enough to leave a horizontal indentation, but no penetration.

With neither initial attack offering much success, both experts changed their stances and going for their stabbing attack, both their blades penetrating.

Dr. Dorian first approached the gel torso outfitted with the samurai's armor, "You struck a portion of the armor covered by leather rather than the steel plating, that's going to break a rib or two. For your stabbing attack you managed to penetrate another portion covered by leather and in the spot you struck it would be deep enough to sever an intestine, a kill."

"You only struck the areas covered by the lighter material, thought your weapon was supposed to be so big and badass," Hank scoffed.

"Well that is the point of killing your enemy isn't it? To strike him in the area least protected," Jerry retorted.

Dr. Dorian ignored the brewing confrontation and made his way over to the armor outfitted with the knight's steel cuirass and slowly removing it to check the sensor patch underneath, "Your first blow left an impressive dent, but according to the PSI it won't be enough to do damage, just temporarily slow the man down. What caught me by surprise though was that your blade went deeper and struck the man underneath in his liver, instant kill."

"This definitely surprises me given the katana's fame as a slashing weapon," Geoff added.

"And I didn't have to pussyfoot around things to get the job done either," Hank laughed sheathing his sword.

_An impressive display by both swords, but what do our experts think?_

"The katana is just plain awesome," Dr. Dorian started out, "It's fast, it's reliable and it has more surprises up its sleeve."

"I have to agree with you on this one," Geoff chimed in, "While the broadsword is longer and has double-edged capabilities, it didn't impress me as much as I thought it would. The katana has its fame as a slashing weapon, but it's shown us it can also stab just as good."

"I'm with both of you on this one," Mack spoke, "It has speed, it has trauma and plus it's incorporated into more than one fighting style and its metallurgy makes it sturdier than the broadsword, which bends more easily, edge katana."

_In short range weapons the katana takes the edge._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out their mid-ranged weapons and then later on it's a duel to the death when the Knight and the Samurai finally meet on the field of battle._

XXXXX

_Now it's time for both warriors to break out their mid-ranged arsenal. First up, the samurai swings into action with a bladed staff made famous in Medieval Japan._

"The naginata was a very clean cutting weapon that stood seven feet in length, three of which was a sword-like blade, and weighed four pounds altogether," Dave explained, "It allowed the user to perform a nice swooping cut from a distance and could provide a nice thrusting attack."

Hank now had the naginata in hand and was performing a few slashing attacks, twirling the weapon with the grace of a master.

"That looks like seven feet of pure devastation," Geoff said before looking over to a ballistics gel torso, "Show us what it can do Hank."

"Gladly," Hank said.

"High speed is up and on 3…2…1! Let's do it!"

With a graceful twirl Hank swung the weapon downward, slicing off a clean portion of the skull, which left part of the dummy's brain exposed, before following up with another and slicing off part of its jawbone. Taking a few steps back the weapons expert thrust his weapon forward, breaking through a rib and penetrating the torso's heart.

"Your first slash took off a portion of this man's skull and with it part of the brain, would very well be a kill before the man even hit the ground," Dr. Dorian said lifting up the small circular patty of artificial left behind before examining the damage done to the dummy's face, "and here you've taken off part of the man's jawbone, another quick kill," he said before reaching through the opening created by the final thrust and gripping the artificial heart inside, "This right here is self-explanatory. You've got three quick kills."

"Again, that's just bare flesh you're attacking there. Keep in mind a knight was covered from head to toe in armor," Jerry interjected.

Hank was then led over to a bust made of ballistics gel, this one outfitted with a steel basinet worn by the knight.

"We are going to test the effect of the naginata against an armored opponent. We've placed a pressure sensor on the head of the target. We've seen what it can do to someone unarmored, but now let's see what it can do. Hank are you ready?" Geoff asked.

"Born," was the expert's only reply.

"Then let him have it," Geoff called back.

With another deep breath and a loud yell Hank brought the naginata's blade down on top of the helmeted head, slightly denting the helmet with a jarring clang.

"We registered 20 psi translated to the skull," Geoff explained, "Won't be much to slow him down."

"Keep in mind though, that loud clang could disorient the man underneath and leave him open for attacks, possibly even permanent hearing loss," Dr. Dorian explained, "As loud as that was, I swear I should've been wearing earplugs."

"Well my weapon has three main uses, meaning I have more ways to kill you, not to mention it would tear through your armor like a t-shirt," Jerry scoffed.

"The halberd is a two-handed staff weapon that came into prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries, one of the most versatile and deadliest weapons in all of Europe, one of the most used weapons before the advent of gunpowder," Dave explained, "It's seven feet long and surprisingly light at only five pounds, a steel blade mounted on a wooden shaft with metal rims to protect the handle."

Jerry had the halberd in hand and stabbed at some imaginary opponents before going to meet the panel.

"As you can see I have multiple uses for this weapon," the knight expert said proudly displaying his weapon, "I can use the fluke to hook a man off his horse or disarm him, a pike on the end to run through a man's armor, and lastly an ax for hacking a man apart."

Jerry then approached an area where two targets were set up, the first an unarmored gel torso and then towards the back another figurine mounted on a fake horse and outfitted in samurai armor.

"We've set up two tests for you to prove the halberd's lethality," Geoff explained motioning towards the inanimate enemies, "Whenever you are ready."

Jerry first approached the unarmored torso and delivered an overhead strike, tearing off the back of its ballistic gel-covered skull in one strike and exposing a large amount of brain matter. Taking a leap backwards he drove the pike through the dummy's abdomen and once through the throat, the sharp point going through its enemy in both strikes.

"I don't think you're even gonna need to put your gloves on for that one Doc," Geoff quipped as Jerry approached the mounted opponent.

With the pull of a lever, the fake horse came charging towards Jerry, the expert impaling the dummy right through his lamellar armor and then turning his weapon around, using the fluke to pull the inanimate opponent from his steed and bringing the ax end downward with a sickly tear.

"Try beating that," Jerry chuckled to Hank.

"All your blows to the first opponent are instant kills," Dr. Dorian said taking one final look at the ballistic gel torso and making his way over to the fallen horseback opponent, "With this poor fellow here," the doctor said kneeling down, "You managed to drive the spike right through the man's lower abdomen and from the looks of things, turned his intestines into stew and might have even connected with the spinal column, paralysis and a kill in one strike. When you caught the man with the fluke you managed to get his throat and tore right into it, severing the jugular. Your final strike with the ax end cut right into the man's neck, just beneath the samurai's mengu, another instant kill."

_Both weapons show their potential of killing a man in more than one way, but where do our experts stand?_

"Sure the naginata has speed and grace, but the halberd has versatility and shows it can kill a man in more ways than one," Geoff spoke.

"I'm in full agreement with you on that one," Dr. Dorian nodded.

"As am I," Mack nodded, "Edge, halberd."

_In mid-range weapons, the knight takes the edge with his halberd._

_ Coming up, both sides break out their long range arsenal as we inch closer to a duel to the death between both parties._

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_Now the time comes for both sides to break out their long range arsenals, first up will be the knight with his crossbow._

"The crossbow consisted of a bow mounted to a wooden stock," Dave explained holding up the replica for show, "When spanned, the bowstring is held in place by a notch, pull the trigger and it pushes the bowstring from the notch. It's got a forward motion, meaning no recoil in the end."

"Voila, the original sniper rifle," Jerry said testing the weapons sights before reaching for his arrows.

"And we're going to test the accuracy of your crossbow against an armored opponent," Geoff said motioning towards a ballistics gel torso that was again outfitted in the samurai's do-maru and kabuto helmet. "You have three shots for this test, so whenever you are ready let it rip."

Jerry got into position and loaded his first arrow, taking aim and firing. His first arrow struck the lamellar armor in a steel portion, leaving a visible dent, but failing to penetrate and bouncing off. He loaded his next shot and fired an arrow that struck a leather area, becoming stuck. He loaded his final arrow and managed to fire his bolt right through the target's left eye.

"Let's see what we've got here," Dr. Dorian said pulling on his gloves and approaching the torso, "Well I do see an instant kill with your last shot," he said pulling out the arrow and then removing the kabuto, then feeling around the fresh opening, "The brain stem has been severed."

He then proceeded to remove the do-maru, "Your first shot struck steel, the samurai might feel it, but he's not going to be slowed down for very long. Your second shot managed to pierce the leather, going in 2.5 inches into the torso. You've nailed the upper part of the liver and the pancreas, a mortal wound."

"And you did this at roughly 78 miles per hour," Geoff said, having observed the test with his radar gun set up, "Anything going that fast is bound to be an instant kill if it impacts."

"With your horrendous reload time, I could be filling you full of holes in no time," Hank scoffed.

"The yumi is a bow that has existed in Japan since prehistory. It is made from laminated bamboo, wood and leather, standing seven feet long and weighing two pounds," Dave explained, "It comes equipped with a special grip that enables it to be fired from a kneeling position as well as on horseback."

Hank strolled over to the set up firing range with the yumi in hand and three different kinds of arrows at his disposal.

"Alright Hank, we're going to do the same test, this time with the knight's armor and for it we've given you three different kinds of arrows," Geoff explained as the gel torso outfitted with the knight's steel plate armor was wheeled into view.

"That's right; I have a broad head arrow, a narrow head, and a barbed head, three different kinds of ammo, three different ways to kill a man," Hank said smirking towards Jerry.

"Hank, whenever you are ready, fire at will!" Geoff called out.

Hank loaded the narrow headed arrow and fired, his arrow soaring gracefully through the air, but then striking the plate armor and bouncing off, leaving only a dent.

The weapons specialist remains undeterred and goes to load the barbed arrow, which also fails to produce any visible damage.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" Jerry whispered to Geoff and Mack as Hank becomes visibly frustrated, reaching for the broad head arrow and fires, the arrow bouncing off the steel plating and barely leaving a scratch.

"Son of a b-tch," Hank grunts while Jerry laughs loudly in the background.

Geoff walks over and inspects the armor, "While I can definitely tell the yumi has accuracy and range, against the knight's steel plating, I'm not seeing anything that would be of a serious threat to the knight, and meaning he could still come charging head on while the samurai is reaching for his next arrow.

_Both long range weapons prove their accuracy and killing potential, but what does our panel think?_

"Normally I would go with the yumi, but from what I've seen here, I'm gonna have to go with the crossbow. It has killing power, range, accuracy and can actually penetrate portions of the samurai's armor," Geoff explained.

"Even if its arrows can't do much against the knight's armor, I'm still going with the yumi on this one," Dr. Dorian countered, "It reloads much faster than the crossbow and can be more accurately fired from horseback."

Things now fall down to Mack for the crucial tiebreaker.

"I'm gonna have to go against what most would be normally tempted to say and I'm gonna have to go with the crossbow on this as well," Mack answered, "We've seen that the yumi's arrows would not have much of an effect against the knight's steel plated armor, whereas the samurai's armor has its weak points, plus he has portions of his face that would be exposed to an oncoming bolt."

"Then it's settled, edge crossbow," Geoff finished.

_For long range weapons, the knight takes the edge with his crossbow._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out their special death dealing weapons and then later on, it's a duel to the death as the knight and the samurai meet for the very first time on the field of battle._

_ Who will be 'The Deadliest Warrior?'_

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_And now the time has arrived for both sides to break out their special weapons._

"The wakizashi was a sword similar to, but shorter than the katana," Dave explained, "It has a blade that was 18 inches in length, 6 to 12 inches shorter than the typical katana. It was intended to serve as a sidearm, only to be drawn when that katana was lost or broken. When worn together, the pair of swords was known as 'daisho,' which literally translates to 'big-little.'"

"Hank, we've set up another test where you will display the wakizashi's abilities against both an unarmored and armored opponent," Geoff said motioning towards the two ballistic gel torsos, "Whenever you are ready."

Hank nodded and took his position in front of the unarmored torso.

"Hank, are you ready?"

"Yeah!" the swordsman shouted back.

"On 3…2…1! Do it!" Geoff ordered.

Hank let out a battle cry and swung his blade at a diagonal angle, slicing into the target's shoulder and nearly severing its arm before pulling out and driving the blade through its chest and then slicing upward into its neck, severing the head.

With the first target down, Hank then made his way over to the armored torso and sliced at it, leaving a sizeable dent, but failing to penetrate. He then leapt backwards and readjusted the aim of his sword before thrusting it outward and managing to pierce the middle. As an afterthought, he lifted the basinet's visor and drove his blade through the fresh opening.

Dr. Dorian approached the unarmored torso and inspected the damage done, "With your first blow you managed to lacerate the arm's blood vessels and the lung. Your victim would bleed out within seconds. With your second blow you managed to pierce the sternum, meaning you've likely stricken the other lung, another quick kill. Lastly was a decapitation, another testament to the destructive capabilities of Japanese steel."

The doctor then made his way over to the armored torso and inspected the fresh hole, "Here you've managed to penetrate the steel plating and you've nicked the lung, a mortal wound that won't kill right away, but could leave your adversary open to your coup de grace," he said looking to the hole left between the torso's eyes through the opened visor.

"With my special weapon, you'll never get close enough for such a feat. You'd be dead before you'd hit the ground," Jerry replied.

"The Morningstar, also known as a flail, is a chained weapon that consisted of a spiked iron ball on a chain hung from a wooden handle. The length of the handle and chain varied and several heads could have been mounted to the handle.

Jerry stepped onto the testing floor with the Morningstar in hand, clad in Kevlar armor.

"Nice getup," Hank sarcastically commented, but Jerry ignored him making his way over to a ballistics gel bust.

"Alright Jerry, you're going to show us exactly what this bad boy can do. On the count of 3, I want you to rip it up," Geoff spoke.

"Gladly," was the weapons specialist only offer.

"On 3…2…1! Bash 'em!"

With a mighty swing Jerry struck the left side of the bust's face, shattering several bones underneath and ripping away some artificial flesh before going for his second strike on top of the skull, before rearing back and going for a final blow that completely shattered the skull, sending bits of artificial brain leaking onto the floor below.

"Your first blow shattered the left cheekbone and jaw, not going to be a kill, but will leave your opponent in a world of hurt," Dr. Dorian said examining the area while pulling away bits of gel before moving to the top of the head, "Your second blow broke the spinal cord, instant kill. Your final blow completely shattered the skull and emptied the brainpan; I don't think I need to comment any further."

"But that was against an unarmored foe," Hank protested, "Keep in mind the samurai wore helmets that would have protected them from said blows."

"Very well, let's find out," Geoff explained as another bust was brought in, this one outfitted with a kabuto.

"High speed is up," Geoff said readying the camera, "Jerry, when you are ready, on 3…2…1!"

Jerry swung the Morningstar and it bounced off the helmeted head with a jarring clang, breaking away some of the kabuto's scaling and leaving a noticeable dent, whipping the head at an awkward angle.

"And let's see what we've got here," Dr. Dorian said walking over and removing the helmet, "It looks like there was any damage; it would only be minor head trauma, but not enough to kill."

"You also have to take into consideration possible neck trauma that could be inflicted," Geoff explained reviewing the high speed footage in slow motion, "It could distract and possible temporarily incapacitate your enemy."

"But, it doesn't deliver the instant kill you would need," Dr. Dorian countered.

"All show and no go," Hank chuckled walking over and patting Jerry on the shoulder.

_Two very different weapons have been tested, but what does our panel think?_

"While the Morningstar is capable of dishing out severe trauma, the user must waste precious seconds swinging it around to gain the desired momentum needed for shattering their enemy's skull, not as reliable as the wakizashi. Edge, wakizashi," Geoff spoke up.

"I have to agree, the wakizashi is quicker and more maneuverable, edge wakizashi," Dr. Dorian added.

"It's a deadly weapon that is also highly dangerous to its user and if it weren't for the knight's armor, it would be too dangerous for him to wield. As unpredictable as chain weapons can be, there's a chance of accidentally striking oneself, my edge goes to the wakizashi," Mack finished.

_For special weapons, the samurai takes the edge with his wakizashi._

_ Coming up, the panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors for each warrior._

"For training, these are two of the most well-trained classes of warriors in all of history, both of whom trained from an early age and endured some of the most grueling training regimens known to man, but the samurai were trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat, so we gave the samurai a 97 to the knight's 92."

"For endurance, both warriors were heavily armored, but we gave the knight an 89 to the samurai's 83 because the knight was a walking battle tank literally covered from head to toe and carrying heavier weaponry."

"For physicality, again it's a close call, but we gave the samurai a 95 to the knight's 93 because of his training in various unarmed fighting styles."

"For intimidation, we gave the samurai the edge with an 88 due to their practice of decapitating their foes, compared to the knight's 77."

"Lastly, there's killer instinct. The knight believed he was on a divine mission from God, so we gave him an 89 to the samurai's 85."

_Who will win a battle between two very similar, highly revered warriors?_

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

A lone samurai is riding on horseback through a forest, an area totally unfamiliar to him. In the distance he sees a strange stone castle and is intrigued by it, motioning for his horse to move forth. He continues moving until he hears the whinny of a horse in the distance and turns to find another figure mounted on horseback, one wearing strange plate armor unlike anything he had ever seen. In one hand he carried a shield and in the other a chain-like weapon with a spiked iron ball on the end.

In the distance, the knight stares down the mysterious figure that has just ridden into view, clad in a strange armor that made him look like some kind of demon. The figure had taken notice of him and drew a bow, loading an arrow. Whoever he was, he must have been some kind of heathen looking to defile his sacred land and must be dealt with at once.

The challenge was on and the knight began to swing his Morningstar while motioning for his horse to charge.

The samurai saw his challenger charging towards him and raised his yumi, launching the arrow straight at his opponent. The arrow bounced off of the man's armor and he continued forth, swinging his flail over his head. There would be no time to load up another arrow and he tossed the yumi aside, reaching for his katana. He waited until the enemy drew close and swung the blade outward.

Fortunately for the knight, he brought his heater shield up just in time to absorb the blade's blow and swung his Morningstar towards his opponent, barely grazing the man's helmet. Unfortunately for him, the nameless warrior was quick and relentless, slashing at him repeatedly, making it difficult for him to balance on his horse as he struggled to keep his shield raised while he swung the Morningstar to go for another blow.

Eventually, the knight would shoot his Morningstar outward and managed to entangle the samurai's katana, locking the two men in a virtual tug of war. The European warrior would eventually gain the upper hand as he managed to swing his shield outward and strike the samurai, knocking his sword from his hands, but in the process he would lose his balance and fall to the ground, weighed down by his cumbersome armor.

The samurai was temporarily stunned by the blow from his opponent's shield, but had managed to stay atop his horse and looked down to his fallen adversary. Could the fight have been over already? He needed to find out and dismounted his steed, but keeping his hand on the wakizashi's pommel and he slowly approached.

Unknown to his opponent, the knight was playing possum and bolted up, raising his crossbow and firing a bolt towards the encroaching swordsman. The arrow strikes the samurai in a leather portion of his breastplate and he grimaces in pain. With an added struggle he manages to pull the bolt from his side, but by then the knight has already risen to his feet and drawn his broadsword.

Still equipped with his wakizashi, the samurai draws his sidearm and both men cautiously circle each other.

For the samurai, this was about not only gaining favor with his daimyo, but also honoring his pride as a warrior. For the knight, this was about fulfilling his service to the Lord. It was a battle both men were prepared to win and there would be no other way out. In the end, only one of them would be left standing.

Both warriors swung their swords outward and there was a jarring clang as they connected, followed by another as their blades caught one another in midair, and then a third in what was quickly becoming a back and forth swordfight. Several more clashes followed until their swords again met and became locked together.

It was a war of attrition as both men struggled with their blades interlocked; the knight having the size and strength advantage, yet the fearless samurai would not be deterred and he continued to fight even as he was forced down to a knee, holding his wakizashi high above his head. He needed to think fast or risk disgracing his daimyo.

With a loud grunt, the samurai managed to twist his body and shot his other leg out, catching the knight's leg and now forcing him down to a knee before pushing himself back to his feet and responding with a roundhouse kick to his heavily-armored foe's chest. He raised his wakizashi to deliver the death blow, but before he could act he was lying flat on his back.

Out of desperation, the knight shot himself outward and tackled his smaller opponent to the ground, proceeding to punch the man repeatedly before raising his broadsword high above his head and going to impale his fallen challenger. Once again, the samurai had been deceptively quick in spite of his heavy-looking armor, managing to throw the knight off balance with another kick to his leg and then shoving himself back to his feet.

Now back on a vertical base, but disarmed, the samurai looked around desperately for a weapon. His horse had come to a halt nearby and lying on the ground not too far away was his naginata, quickly bolting after it.

The knight had recovered from the surprise attack and by now was rising back to his feet, shrugging off the waves of pain shooting through his leg. His trusted steed had come to a stop nearby and still strapped to it was his halberd. Looking behind him he could see the samurai reaching for some kind of bladed staff and knowing the fight was not yet over, rushed to grab his own weapon.

With both warriors rearmed, the two turned to face each other, experiencing a collective second wind.

"Etre parti paien racaille!" the knight shouted readying for his charge.

The samurai grunted defiantly and began swinging his naginata around hoping to deter his opponent's advance.

The knight closed in the gap and went to stab his opponent with the pike, but the samurai sidestepped and swung his naginata downward, managing to slash the knight along his arm. The French warrior grunted in pain, forced to bring his weapon up just a second later to deflect another downward slash from his smaller opponent.

The duo found themselves locked in another war of attrition as their weapons clashed, both men battered and bleeding, yet refusing to go down without a fight.

Eventually the knight would get the upper hand, raising his foot and kicking his opponent in the stomach. With the samurai doubling back, the crusader thrusts the halberd's spike outward hoping to catch his opponent in the gut.

Speed is on the samurai's side though, twirling his naginata and managing to strike the samurai in the chest with a jarring clang, leaving a sizeable dent and stunning his foe. He then twirled his bladed staff downward and struck his larger opponent in the leg, dropping his challenger to a knee as the man let out a stifled grunt of pain.

The knight was again on the ropes as his leg was caught by the blade. His armor had absorbed a majority of the blow, but being a veteran of several conflicts, he could feel the warm, sticky sensation of blood trickling down his leg. The small, heavily-armored man was more of a challenge than he had expected and now the man was raising his weapon to deal the death blow. Out of desperation, the knight shot his halberd outward, its spike penetrating the man's exposed thigh.

A strangled grunt of pain escaped the samurai's lips as he was ran through by the halberd, followed by a cry of surprise as the knight used the weapon's fluke to rip the naginata from his hands. It was now his opponent going for the death blow as he watched the taller man raise the pole arm above his head. With a grunt, the knight brought his weapon down, only for its ax to strike earth as the samurai again sidestepped him.

The knight collapsed from a mixture of fatigue and blood loss, unable to pull his halberd out of its muddy prison. He looked up to see his wounded opponent attempting to flee, the man's katana lying on the ground nearby, he couldn't allow the man to reach it. Fortunately, his broadsword was lying nearby and he hobbled over to collect it.

Both men were again armed and charged towards each other with their weapons raised high, the bone jarring clang ringing out as steel met steel, warriors swinging back and forth with all their might, neither letting their respective injuries slow them down. It was a duel to the death and they were determined to give it their all.

Eventually the knight managed to find another hole in the samurai's defense and delivered a gash to the Japanese warrior's arm. The pain left him open to another strike, but the knight had only managed to strike a steel portion of his do-maru, leaving him free from serious injury, but still winded by the blow and forcing himself to leap backward.

The knight again cautiously approached with his sword in front of him as the samurai attempted to regain his bearings. When he came within range, the Japanese warrior raised his sword and crusader raised his sword to block, but it was a ruse as the crafty fighter instead shot his katana outward and managed to pierce the knight's cuirass.

A mixture of pain and fatigue caused the samurai's aim to be off and while he pierced the knight's armor, he only managed to graze the Frenchman's side.

In the process, he had also left himself wide open to another surprise attack as the knight shot his fist outward and caught him right between the eyes just above his mengu, sending him reeling backwards.

Taking advantage of his fresh opening, the knight again shot his broadsword outward and plunged it into a portion guarded only by leather, his sharp blade driving through and piercing the area just beneath the samurai's clavicle.

The proud Japanese warrior let out a loud gasp of surprise and horror as he listened to the ripping of his own flesh, blood gushing from the fresh wound and staining his breastplate. The torture doesn't end as the knight continues to drive his sword further in, forcing the smaller man to his knees. Eventually the samurai collapses face first into the ground and the knight turned him over, preparing to thrust his sword again.

There was a vacant gaze in the samurai's eyes. He was dead.

With his foe defeated, the victorious knight stabbed his broadsword into the earth and collapsed to a knee in prayer, thanking God for his victory.

XXXXX

Winner: Knight

Knight

Broadsword: 103

Halberd: 264

Crossbow: 106

Morningstar: 54

Total: 527

Samurai:

Katana: 137

Naginata: 171

Yumi: 114

Wakizashi: 51

Total: 473

_In a battle of two closely matched warriors, the knight managed to pull off the victory thanks largely in part to his more effective armor, which did a better job at covering the more important parts of his body, and the diversity of his halberd._

"This was a very surprising result to me because I truly thought the samurai was the better trained of the two warriors," Dr. Dorian explained.

"In the end, I knew this was going to be a close matchup," Mack added, "Given the knight's discipline, durable armor and effective weaponry, I knew there was a possibility he could have come out on top in the end.

(The knight is shown riding back to the castle following his victory. He has taken the fallen samurai's katana as a trophy, impressed by its abilities displayed during the battle.)

XXXXX

_Next time on Deadliest Warrior: It's a battle of two fierce guerilla fighters._

Apache: The fierce, scalp-taking master of death.

Vs.

Ninja: The legendary master of death from Japan.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

XXXXX

Author's Note: I once again apologize for the lengthy delay, but I got sidetracked by other projects and life in general.

I walked into this chapter thinking the katana and broadsword would be dead even, but I was convinced to change my mind after seeing a clip on YouTube where both weapons were pitted against each other and the katana was shown to have greater stabbing abilities than given credit for on the show.

The yumi may be faster than the crossbow and thought that it would also take the edge in its category, but I was inspired to do differently after hearing some statements made that the demonstrations on the show were edited to make its shots look more impressive than they typically are, leaving it open to debate.

Well I think that's pretty much all I have to say and once again I have to give a special thanks to those of you who reviewed the first chapter and another special thanks to DeadAliveManiac for beta reading this for me.

Until next time, this is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	3. Apache vs Ninja

Apache: The Native American stealth master who successfully defended himself against American forces.

(Several Apaches are shown storming a camp of settlers with tomahawks and knives drawn.)

Vs.

Ninja: The stealthy assassination expert who rebelled against the nobility of Feudal Japan.

(A ninja is shown hanging upside down from a tree and grabbing a samurai from behind, slitting his throat.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

_Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Apache

Circa: 1830 A.D.

Height: 5' 7"

Weight: 140 lbs.

Armor:

Rawhide Shield

Ninja

Circa: 1600 A.D.

Height: 5' 2"

Weight: 135 lbs.

Armor: None

"This is going to be a battle of two lightly-armored warriors who specialized in hit and run guerilla-style tactics that are still practiced today," Mack explained, "That is where their similarities ended.

"The Apache preferred a more direct 'shock and awe' approach aimed at terrorizing his enemies, while the ninja was more about using silence and surprise, sneaking up on an unsuspecting enemy, taking them out and then disappearing back into the shadows as quickly as he came."

"I'm going to side with the Apache on this one," Dr. Armand Dorian answered, "I think the movies and literature tend to over exaggerate the abilities of the ninja. Most of the Apache's weapons can be used from all ranges; I think that's definitely going to play a factor in the outcome of this matchup."

"I'm going with the ninja because a majority of his weapons are made from sturdier, more reliable materials," Geoff Desmoulin countered, "Steel against bone and wood? Steel wins any day of the week."

_'Apache' is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans residing in the American southwest, a fiercely proud group of people who initially fought the Spanish and later the United States government in a series of colonial conflicts ranging from 1851 to 1906._

"They were forced to adopt a style of guerilla warfare to compensate for their technological disadvantage against their foes," Mack explained, "They would ambush at extremely close ranges and disappear right afterward. It gave them a tremendous psychological advantage. Many of their combative tactics were eventually adopted by the military."

_The 1850's saw an influx of American settlers into sacred tribal lands, seeking to harvest their natural resources, thus leading to various encounters._

"Imagine a man with his face covered in war paint, charging towards you shouting with a large blade in his hands. The Apache were merciless to their foes and were a constant threat to anyone who tried to settle in the southwest. They will definitely be unlike anything the Ninja has ever encountered," Mack finished.

_The Apache brings an assortment of lethal handcrafted weapons to today's battle:_

Short Range: Knife

Mid-Range: Tomahawk

Long Range: Bow and Arrow

Special Weapon: War Club

_Today the Apache will be going up against a stealthier adversary who relies upon the element of surprise._

_Ninjas, also known as 'shinobi,' are believed to have started out as peasants who rose up against the samurai, utilizing unconventional tactics to wage war against their adversaries, who were bound to a strict code of honor._

"They served as spies and mercenaries who specialized in espionage, sabotage, infiltration and assassination," Mack explained, "They were considered invisible warriors who lurked in the shadows, steeped so far in legend, they've been rumored to be capable of supernatural feats."

_Due to strict regulations imposed by the ruling class, ninjas were forced to use improvised weapons which they bring into battle today:_

Short Range: Sai

Mid-Range: Ninjato

Long Range: Shuriken and Fukiya

Special Weapon: Kusarigama

_Both teams start out by showing off their short range weapons and the Apache will start things out with his own handmade knife._

"The knives Apaches used were mostly made of stone or bone and attached to wooden handles," Dave explained, "Steel would later become available to them through trade. It was eight inches in length and weighed a pound."

"I see that you have more than one knife at your disposal," Geoff said walking into view as Jerry stood at a table with six knives laid out.

"Apache warriors typically carried more than one knife on them at once," Jerry replied closely examining one with a blade made of sharpened stone.

"That's perfect for the tests we have set up for you," Geoff said motioning towards five pig carcasses suspended from the ceiling and a gel torso nearby, "You're going to show us how accurate these knives can be when thrown, and then you're given a target to show the hack and slash techniques upon," he said patting the torso on its head, "Whenever you are ready."

Jerry nodded scooping up five of the knives and approaching the line where the five pig carcasses were suspended twenty yards away.

"On 3…2…1! Do it!" Geoff called out.

Jerry nodded and tossed the first knife through a pig's throat. Readying his next blade, he tosses it and sticks it in the pig's gut. The third knife would find its mark in the third carcass' chest, followed by the fourth knife finding it in the chest of another. With his last knife in hand, he chucks it hard at his last target, catching it right through the pig's eye.

With his five targets incapacitated, Jerry picks up his final knife and makes his way over to the torso, plunging it into the victim's chest and ripping all the way down until its gel body ended, pulling it out and slicing the torso's throat wide open.

"Looking at your first target, you managed to pierce his windpipe, instant kill," Dr. Dorian said making his way over to the second suspended pig carcass and rifling through, "Your second knife found its way into the intestines, deep enough to hit the spine, another kill," he said before approaching the third and fourth targets respectively, "These next two you hit in their chests, but the placement is different. With the third guy, you struck his lung, going to incapacitate him, but not kill right away, then you also broke some of his ribs, which could in turn hit the heart. With the fourth guy, dead center in the heart, another instant kill," the doctor reported before reaching up to pull the knife out of the last pig carcass, "Your last shot, piercing his eye and severing his brain stem, another instant kill."

Dr. Dorian then approached the torso and inspected the deep gash left by the knife, "This last guy, you've completely disemboweled him. He's gonna bleed out within seconds, even faster if you can make his innards spill out like this," he said scooping up a length of fake intestines, "Your last strike was deep enough to sever the windpipe, another kill."

"You used six knives for six kills, very impressive," Geoff weighed in.

"Keep in mind, not every warrior has that perfect of an aim, especially when going up against actual moving targets," Hank said offering his two cents, "My weapon is longer, made of steel and has three prongs to catch an enemy, upping his chances for a successful strike."

_The ninja answers the challenge with the sai._

"The sai is a dagger-shaped bludgeoning tool native to Okinawa," Dave explained, "It consists of an elongated central prong that is used to stab an enemy, along with two outer forks that can catch an opponent's weapon. The handle ends with a large metal knob called the 'knuckle,' which is intended for striking. It is made of stainless steel and stands 19 inches in length."

Hank had a set of sais in hand and was practicing some katas with them before approaching the panel and pulling out a third tucked behind him.

"Any particular reason for that?" Dr. Dorian asked noting the concealment of the third sai.

"Sais were traditionally carried in threes," Hank answered, "two at the side as primary weapons, and then the third tucked behind as an extra in case one were to be disarmed.

"Much like the Apache's knife, these weapons too can be thrown with a lethal range of about 20-30 feet, hence another reason for carrying multiple. Throwing the sai would typically be a technique used against an enemy armed with a sword, bo staff or another long range weapon."

"All there is to do now is show us what it can do," Geoff said motioning towards a foam torso, "Whenever you're ready, let the show begin."

Hank nodded and readied his sais.

"On 3…2…1, stick 'em!" Geoff shouted.

Hank tossed his first sai at the torso, catching it in the right pectoral near its shoulder. Withdrawing his extra sai, the weapons specialist charged towards the torso and stabbed it twice in rapid succession before ending with a final shot to the abdomen.

"Unlike some people, I don't need to make a big production out of my kills," Hank chuckled, smirking towards Jerry.

"I'm amazed at the accuracy of your throw," Dr. Dorian said pulling out the sai and inspecting the fake blood on the tip, "From this range it could have traveled between the ribs and pierced the lung, not an instant kill, but will slow your enemy down and kill him within the hour." The doctor then felt around the other holes left by the sai, "Your first stab pierced the large intestine and turned it to mush, just missing the spinal cord, a mortal wound. Your second stab would have crushed a rib and gone through the organs beneath, another delayed kill. The final stab pierced the aorta, instant kill."

_Both short range weapons have displayed their killing potential and their ability to be used at longer ranges, but which weapon do our experts think would take the edge?_

"This is a close call for me," Geoff said looking over both weapons, "I like the sai because it's made of the sturdier material and has three prongs to provide greater versatility, but I like the knife because you can stab and slash."

"I agree this is a very close call for me," Dr. Dorian replied, "Not only does the sai offer great offensive capabilities, but you can also use it to disarm an opponent, I'm going with the sai on this one."

_Our panel is deadlocked thus far and now it will come do to Mack to provide the crucial tiebreaker._

"I like both weapons because you get more than one option with each, plus they can both be used accurately at longer ranges," Mack added, "This is too close, I'm gonna have to call it even on this one."

_In short range weapons, we are even._

_Coming up, both warriors break out two iconic weapons for their mid-range arsenal when an earthen battle axe goes up against a lightning quick sword._

XXXXX

_Now it is time for both warriors to break out their mid-range weapons. The Apache will start things out with an iconic weapon used by many native tribes, the tomahawk._

"The tomahawk is a weapon measuring 14 inches in length and weighing typically around two pounds in weight," Dave explained holding up a handcrafted replica, "Its blade can be made from stone, bone or iron, and was often decorated with silver, beads and eagle feathers."

_To test the weapon's lethality, Jerry will test a tomahawk made from each material._

"Alright Jerry, we have two ballistic gel targets and you will first test the stone tomahawk and on the second you will test one made from a horse's jaw," Geoff said motioning towards the two targets, one a bust and the other a torso, "So whenever you are ready!"

Jerry nodded and grabbed a stone tomahawk before making his way over to the bust. Letting out an Apache war cry, he brings the axe down on top of the skull, tearing off the back of his target's head. With his first inanimate opponent dispatched, he grabs the horse jaw tomahawk and slices it straight down the middle of its face to rip it wide open, before following up by burying it into the torso's neck until it's touching the spine. With the face already destroyed, he doesn't stop, swinging the tomahawk into the left pectoral and then slamming it twice into the sternum.

Dr. Dorian approached the obliterated bust while putting on his gloves, "You've completely destroyed this in just one blow," he said fishing around inside of what remained, "We've got a skull split open like an egg and most of the brain destroyed, this is an instant kill."

He then made his way over to the torso to assess the damage, "Your first blow ripped this man's face open from right between his eyes down to the bottom of his chin, instant kill. Your second blow connected with the man's spinal cord, in the process severing his jugular vein and carotid artery, another instant kill. Your third blow alone shattered three ribs and punctured his left lung, might not be an instant kill, but will cripple him, and then your last blows shattered the sternum and destroyed his heart, major, major damage."

_In addition to close range combat, the tomahawk can be used as a throwing weapon. Jerry will show off its effectiveness with three metal-headed tomahawks._

"High speed is up, whenever you are ready," Geoff called out readying his cameras while Mack stood nearby with a radar gun out.

Jerry grabbed three iron-headed tomahawks and walked over to where three circular wooden targets were set up, each with a red 'X' painted in the center. With a mighty heave, he chucked the first tomahawk, striking just south of the target, switching his aim towards the second target and launching it forward, managing to strike the target head on, and then lastly throwing the last one and landing it just above the target.

"We are getting readings of 29 mph for your first two throws and 32 mph for your last," Geoff reported.

"And what if you miss with your throw?" Hank chimed in, "There's always the possibility of that happening and if you do, you've wasted a weapon."

"Apaches typically carried two tomahawks on them at once. I would still have a backup option," Jerry countered.

"You also can't forget that your weapon is made from flimsy material, mine is much sturdier and more reliable," Hank added.

_The ninja cuts back with a razor sharp killer of its own._

"The ninjato was similar to the katana, but it was a straight blade that could be used for stabbing and thrusting," Dave explained, "Shorter than the typical katana, it was kept inside a long sageo, or scabbard, that allowed it to be drawn more quickly. It was 37 inches long and weighed two pounds."

Hank came equipped with his ninjato and was led over to a ballistic gel torso, his hand on the blade's pommel.

"Alright Hank, show us what this can do on 3…2…1…cut 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

With a loud yell, the swordsman quickly drew his sword and sliced downward with a sickly tear, nearly severing its arm.

"You've cut six inches into the shoulder," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the fresh cut, "This far in you are lacerating the arm's blood vessels and the lung. This guy's gonna be bleeding out within a matter of seconds."

"Speed is the key," Hank quipped towards Jerry, who remained unimpressed by the lightning quick display.

Another pig carcass was suspended nearby and Hank approached with his hand on the ninjato's pommel the entire time, ready to carry out another demonstration of the blade's razor sharp edge. With another battle cry, Hank slashed into the hanging body twice, hacking it in half.

"You were able to cut through that pig in two clean slices," Dr. Dorian said examining the separated halves, "Your first blow went right through the pelvis and the second through the spine. I'd hate to be that poor bastard," he chuckled.

_Both weapons have proven their lethality, but where do our experts stand?_

"The tomahawk is nice because it can be used from more than one range, but the ninjato has slicing power, lightness, superior range and quickness," Geoff explained.

"Plus it is made of superior materials and operates much more smoothly, the ninjato takes it in my book," Dr. Dorian added.

"I'm in full agreement, edge ninjato," Mack finished.

_The ninja takes the edge in mid-range weapons with his ninjato._

_Coming up, both sides unleash their long range arsenal and then later on, we have a duel to the death. Stay tuned!_

XXXXX

_Now it is time for both warriors to bring their long range weapons to the table. Up first is the Apache with another iconic native weapon._

"The Apache bow is four feet in length and made from a single piece of wood with animal sinew for bowstrings," Dave explained, "Its arrows are two feet in length and tipped with stone or metal arrowheads, their ends jagged and barbed to cause more damage."

Jerry stood before another ballistic gel torso with the bow and arrow in hand, readying a line of arrows.

"On 3…2…1, let her rip!" Geoff called out readying his radar gun.

Jerry loads his first arrow and fires a shot that catches the target right through its nose with a sickening _'thuk,' _wasting no time reloading and firing a second shot that caught his inanimate opponent in the gut, and then a third that ran through its side, hanging out of the dermis at an awkward angle. He reached for the line of arrows and kept firing, all of his arrows finding their mark. When his ammo was expended, the gel torso was left a literal pin cushion.

"Every shot you made connected. I am truly impressed by the accuracy," Dr. Dorian said walking over to assess the damage, "Your first shot alone would have obliterated the man's nose and sever the brain stem beneath, an instant kill shot, and there are several other interesting shots as well," he said reaching for one wedged between the ribs, "Here is one that would have pierced the aorta, another to the neck that would have severed the spinal cord, and lastly one to the jawline that would have penetrated the base of the brain."

"And each shot came in at roughly 65 miles per hour," Geoff reported with his radar gun, "That would be damn near impossible for someone to get out of the way just in time."

"That's going to be hard to top," Mack said while Jerry smirked at Hank.

_The ninja brings more than one weapon to the table in response._

"Shurikens could be fashioned from a variety of everyday items from nails, needles, coins, washers and other flat plates of metal, but the most popular kind was the 'hira-shuriken,' or 'ninja star,'" Dave said displaying several freshly-crafted ones, "They were flat discs with four blades, four inches long from one bladed point to another, two ounces of tempered steel.

"In addition, the ninja used the blowgun, also known as a 'fukiya,' a 20 inch long hollow tube which fired darts coated with a toxin derived from the puffer fish," Dave said showing off a fukiya.

There are five shurikens available and a foam target set up. Hank walks up and carefully scoops the throwing stars up, taking his position in front of the target.

"Whenever you are ready," Geoff called out.

Hank nodded and tossed the first three like Frisbees, his first two bouncing off different parts of the target's abdomen, while the third barely sinks its tip into the shoulder. There are two more left and he decides to try a new tactic, tossing them overhand, the first one embedding itself in the neck and the last catching the target's left eye.

"We have a very quick weapon here, but barely any damage early on," Dr. Dorian said feeling around the foam torso, "Your first two bounced off, no scratches, no nothing. Your third one I do see an indentation, but it might only feel like you're being pricked by a thorn at best," he said before picking the fourth one out of the target's neck, "This one is probably your best shot, but it's still a 50/50 scenario. Had this been an actual person, you could have severed his carotid artery, possibly killing him in a minute, it's either that or it would be just a grazing blow. The last shot would take out the man's eye, but not kill.

"All in all, two were deflected, one minor scratch, one kill and one incapacitating injury," Dr. Dorian finished.

"Contrary to their depiction in most popular media, they were more so a distraction tool than a lethal weapon, often thrown at the enemy's eyes, or intended to cause a glancing cut that would throw their enemy off," Mack added, prompting a fit of laughter from Jerry.

"You're here to kill your enemy, not hurt the guy, sheesh!" the Apache expert shouted, earning a filthy glare from his counterpart.

"Even if the shuriken can't get the job done, I still have this," Hank said producing the fukiya and approaching the same target, "The darts are coated with poison. Even if the dart alone doesn't kill, the poison eventually will."

With that said Hank put the fukiya to his lips and blew into it, launching an arrow into the target's neck.

"That dart hit the windpipe, that shot combined with the poison, a quicker than normal kill," Dr. Dorian pointed out.

_Both sides have presented the long range capabilities of their respective warriors, but what do our experts think?_

"I'm definitely gonna have to go with the bow and arrow on this one, it has superior range, accuracy and lethality," Geoff started.

"I'm with you all the way on that," Dr. Dorian seconded.

"Me three," Mack added before they spoke in unison, "Edge, bow and arrow."

_In long range weapons, the Apache takes the edge with his bow and arrow._

_Coming up, both warriors break out their special arsenal and then later on, two fearsome warriors meet on the field of battle in a duel to the death to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_And now the time has come for both sides to reveal their special weapons._

"The war club was a bludgeoning weapon used in close quarters combat by the Apache," Dave explained, "It consisted of a stone head covered in rawhide on a short wooden handle, measuring it at two feet long and weighing two pounds."

Two targets have been set up for Jerry, one a bare skull and the other a ballistic gel bust.

With a mighty swing, Jerry manages to completely shatter the bare skull and then follows up with another swing to the gel bust, still managing to crack the skull like an eggshell.

"Both of those are instant kills," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the splintered remains.

"What worries me about that weapon though is that it looks likely to break very easily," Geoff said, receiving nods of agreement from Mack and Dr. Dorian.

"That, plus the ninja is too fast for that toothpick," Hank smirked, "I bring a weapon to the table that will spin circles around you and can kill you in more ways that one."

"The kusarigama was two weapons brought together as one by a ten foot length of chain," Dave explained, "On one end, you had a 'kama,' the Japanese equivalent of a sickle and on the other, you had a weighted iron ball."

"Two in one," Hank said displaying his weapon, "You've got the iron ball to bludgeon your foe with, or the chain to entangle them, giving the user time to rush in and hack their enemy up with the kama."

To test out his claims, another ballistic gel torso is brought in, this one with its face painted up like a typical Apache warrior.

"High speed is up and running, whenever you are ready Hank!" Geoff called out.

Hank began to swing his chain around, building up the necessary momentum until he finally had enough and released it, the iron ball striking his opponent right in the face with a sickly crack. Not finished with his handiwork, the weapons expert charged towards the reeling dummy and stabbed the kama into its chest, ripping it out with a nauseating tear before raising it up to slice into the torso's neck.

"First and foremost, all of your shots would have been instant kills," Dr. Dorian said scooping up what remained of the torso, "Your first shot struck the enemy head on right in the face, that's going to break nearly every major bone and the force which its head whipped back would be enough to break its neck. Your first shot with the kama tore through the ribs and struck the heart dead on, and your last shot would have sliced into the jugular and carotid artery, need I say more?"

_Both weapons inflict a massive amount of trauma upon their opponents. What do our experts think?_

"I'm with the kusarigama all the way," Geoff started, "Diversity is the key word here and this weapon has two different ways of killing your enemy."

"Although I'm a bit concerned because of the time it takes for the kusarigama to build up momentum, the war club is too flimsy for my liking, edge kusarigama," Dr. Dorian seconded.

"The kusarigama brings a level of unpredictability that leaves the user's enemy constantly guessing what is next, bringing them a psychological edge as well, edge kusarigama," Mack finished.

_For special weapons, the ninja takes the edge with the kusarigama._

_Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"For ferocity, the Apache takes this hands down. The Apache has the fierce incentive to defend his homeland from invaders and is notoriously brutal in his methods to do so, giving them an 88 to the ninja's 84.

"For training, the ninja is self-trained in various forms of unarmed combat and with the usage of various complicated weapons, as well as in fields of espionage, sabotage and infiltration, whereas the Apache was primarily a guerilla fighter. The ninja takes a 93 to the Apache's 80.

"For physicality, both warriors are small and sleek, great at carrying out attacks which require them to get in and get out in rapid time before their enemy knows what is happening, so both are given a 90."

"For endurance, the Apache comes from the harsh deserts of the southwestern United States, so we gave them a 91 to the ninja's 87."

"For killer instinct, these warriors trained to oppose powerful opponents, in the Ninja's case; it was the feudal lords and their samurai followers, in the Apache's case, the U.S. government. Both were outnumbered a million to one and were forced to improvise to make up for their technological disadvantages, so again they were neck and neck with the Apache getting a 93 to the Ninja's 91."

"Lastly, we have intimidation and this was a very close one to call. On one hand, you've got a man shouting at you with paint on his face and on the other, you've got a man clad entirely in black who is able to blend in with the shadows, meaning he can just leap in, make his move, and disappear just like that. Both are approaches are polar opposites in terms of psychological warfare. We ranked the Ninja slightly higher due to his approach, giving him a 91 to the Apache's 90, a literal razor thin margin.

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win in a battle of two very different styles?_

_West_

(A group of Apaches are shown ambushing a group of American soldiers on patrol.)

_Vs._ _East_

(A ninja tosses a black egg into the eyes of a samurai before stabbing him to death with his sais.)

_Wood and Bone_

(An Apache overpowers a rival Comanche and bashes his skull in with his war club.)

_Vs. Steel_

(A ninja entangles a samurai with his kusarigama's chain before hacking into him with its sickle.)

_Direct_

(An Apache charges a settler before the man can fire his musket, splitting his skull open with his tomahawk.)

_Vs. Devious_

(A ninja fires a poisonous dart into a samurai's throat before slicing his throat with his ninjato and then disappearing back into the shadows.)

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

Somewhere in the dry plains of New Mexico, a lone Apache has happened across a stream and is kneeling down to get some water after a long, arduous trip following a recent battle with some rival Zuni.

Meanwhile, a ninja remains hidden in the treetops above, quietly spying the tribal warrior and draws his ninjato, preparing to leap down and take the man from behind. He is about to make his move when the man suddenly jumps to his feet reaching for his bow and arrow.

The Apache is now alerted, having noticed a human-like shape darting above him in the water's reflection. Whirling around the native warrior readies an arrow and cautiously scans the treetops above him, listening for any sounds of movement, only able to hear the cries of an eagle in the distance. Someone is nearby and he remains on guard, the bow's string drawn back and ready to fire at any second.

There is a sudden rustle from above and the Apache's gaze is drawn to the northeasterly direction, noticing a few branches swaying and some leaves falling from them. He now knows he is no longer alone and waits impatiently for his unseen visitor to show themselves, ready to fire if they are hostile.

Another sudden rush is heard from above and the Apache looks up just in time to see the same blur darting above him. Figuring it could be a hostile, he wastes no time launching the arrow, but he is too late and the arrow's tip harmlessly embeds itself in the tree's trunk.

Undaunted, the Apache reaches for another arrow, knowing he must eliminate the threat. Again he scans the treetops for any dangers and stops himself when he swears he can see the outline of another person perched above him, unable to make out any physical features on them. He quickly fires his next arrow, but there are no cries of pain, no blood, no thud of a body hitting the ground, nothing.

A sudden _'thwak' _catches the tribal warrior's attention and he looks to see a small dart embedded in the tree trunk next to him.

There is a crunching of leaves and twigs and the Apache again whirls around with his bow and arrow drawn, only to be met by a man clad entirely in black twirling a chain-like weapon with an iron ball on the end and a blade attached to the other end. He is too close and the Native American warrior is forced to discard his bow, reaching for his tomahawks.

The ninja sees the painted warrior going for his tomahawks and swings downward, wrapping his chain around the man's leg and yanking him to the ground. He raises the kama and goes for the kill, but his opponent brings his ax down and snaps the chain.

The battle is on and the Apache tosses one of his tomahawks, but his smaller adversary leaps out of the way and reaches into a pouch for some shurikens and tosses them like Frisbees at the native warrior, who raises his rawhide shield to deflect the projectiles thrown at him. One of the shurikens finds its way past his defenses and slices into the tribesman's arm, but it does little to slow him down. Letting out a mighty war cry, the Apache makes his charge.

Before the Apache can bring his tomahawk down onto the ninja's skull, the stealthy warrior quickly draws his sais and brings one of them up to ensnare the axe, locking both fighters into a clench that leaves them pushing each other back and forth, struggling to maintain their footing in the dirt beneath them. The ninja brings his foot up and kicks the Native American in the gut, forcing him backward and raises his sais in an attempt to impale the man, but the Apache recovers and delivers a backhanded smack with his tomahawk that knocks the ninja from his feet.

With a feral whoop, the Apache swings his tomahawk downward, but the ninja manages to roll out of the way and draws his ninjato, swinging the blade upwards and managing to slice his opponent's side.

The sight of his own blood gives the proud native warrior a second wind and he tosses his remaining tomahawk at the sneaky man, who again manages to avoid the projectile, but it gives the Apache enough time to deliver a backhanded smack with his rawhide shield. His opponent stunned, the indigenous fighter draws his war club and goes to bash the man's brains in, but the ninja raises his ninjato to block his advance.

His taller opponent is a man of great strength and the ninja struggles to create some distance between the two of them, but the man will not give up and continues his relentless advance, eventually shoving his back into a tree with his shield pressed hard against him.

With his opponent at his mercy, the Apache draws his war club back and goes to smash the smaller man's skull in, but the ninja uses his speed and agility to spin himself out of the way, the rock end of the war club slamming into the tree trunk, enough force having gone into the swing to splinter the club's handle.

The ninja has gained a second wind and raises his ninjato to go for the kill, but the Apache has another trick up his sleeve and reaches down into his boot for a knife, quickly pulling it out and tossing it, catching his opponent in the arm.

A muffled cry of pain escaped his opponent's lips and the man staggered backwards, allowing the tribal warrior the precious seconds needed for him to grab another knife and toss it into the black-clad man's thigh. With his enemy wounded, the Apache draws a third knife and launches himself at the smaller man, slicing into his forearm as the man attempts to block his attack. He draws his arm back and goes to stab him in the throat, but the ninja shoots his leg out and manages to trip him up, sending him falling back to the ground.

Fresh waves of pain shot throughout the ninja's body and he could feel the warm, sticky blood oozing from his wounds. He needed to create more distance between himself and his opponent pulled himself over a nearby log just as the man was pushing himself back to his feet.

The Apache rose to find his enemy trying to flee, but there was no way he was about to let him slip away just like that. Happening across one of his tomahawks, he quickly scoops it up and chases after him with his bloodied knife in the other hand, hooting and hollering as he resumed the hunt.

Past the log was a steep hill the native warrior would find himself skidding down and he came to a halt at the bottom, again listening for any sounds as he slowly advanced with both weapons in hand, ready to claim another scalp.

Meanwhile, the ninja lies in wait behind a tree, loading another poison-tipped dart into his blowgun, listening quietly as the Apache advances upon his position. The man is drawing closer and the Japanese warrior readies himself. Within seconds the painted warrior appears, creeping past him with his knife in one hand and tomahawk in the other. His opponent unaware of his position, the ninja makes his move, firing a poisoned dart that catches the man in the neck.

The Apache cries out in surprise as he feels a sharp prick in his neck and reaches up to rip the dart out, raising his weapons as he looks around for the source, knowing it has to be that strange man in black.

He hears a rustling coming from his left and turns just in time to see a black blur darting past. Raising his knife he tosses it, but his throw is very weak and his aim is very off.

Within seconds the Apache finds himself overcome by a violent coughing fit, his vision getting blurry and the tomahawk feeling ten times heavier, dropping it to the ground. He can still hear movement nearby, but he is unable to act.

The ninja watches in anticipation as the Apache collapses to his knees, the poison taking its effect. With his opponent nearly dead, the shadow warrior steps out into the open and slices his ninjato downward, cutting deep into the man's shoulder, deep enough to connect with the native warrior's lung.

Within seconds the Apache has bled out and collapses to the ground, never to rise again.

His opponent defeated, the ninja sheathed his sword and disappeared back into the shadows.

XXXXX

Winner: Ninja

Ninja

Sai: 24

Ninjato: 223

Shuriken: 0

Fukiya: 14

Kusarigama: 260

Total: 521

Apache

Knife: 206

Tomahawk: 123

Bow and Arrow: 110

War Club: 40

Total: 479

_In a battle of the guerilla fighters, the ninja's steel weaponry proved to be superior, scoring the most kills with his kusarigama and ninjato respectively._

_The Apache, although a brave, fearsome challenger, still managed to put up quite a fight, separated only by 42 victories, his knife proving surprisingly effective._

"I'm personally not surprised that the ninja won this contest given not only his training in unarmed combat, but also factoring in his expertise in other areas of covert warfare, which would have enabled him to sneak in and strike the Apache before he would have even known what hit him," Mack explained.

(The ninja is shown looking on from the treetops as more Apaches have arrived on the scene, angered by the loss of their brother. They are a fight for another day as the stealthy warrior takes off, having claimed his fallen opponent's tomahawk as a souvenir of their battle.)

XXXXX

_Next time on Deadliest Warrior, it's a battle of two of the most fearsome warriors of all time._

Viking: The brutish and bloodthirsty Scandinavian marauder who terrorized and pillaged Old Europe.

Vs.

Spartan: The fierce, armor-clad killing machine of Ancient Greece.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

Author's Note: Well shucky darn, look at how fast this update came compared to my last!

As you can see I made some changes compared to what was shown on the TV show. I decided to take away the ninja's black egg because it was more so meant as a method of distraction, which I know probably sounds kind of like a double standard seeing as how I still incorporated his shurikens into the final battle, but then again they would probably have been more damaging than the black egg.

My decision to add the sai to the ninja's repertoire was inspired by the ninja expert seen practicing with them on the "Ninja vs. Spartan" episode and left me wondering why they weren't used in the final battle given that they could actually be effective weapons. The sai would finally be used in the "Mafia vs. Yakuza" episode and I figured it could be fitting to include it here seeing as how some Yakuza groups were believed to have formed from ninja clans.

It was a last minute choice that forced me to rearrange the Apache's weapons, making the knife his short range weapon and the tomahawk his mid-range, which also left me wondering why it wasn't the other way around on the TV show given the size of both weapons.

Well I think that's all I have to say until then, so as always read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	4. Viking vs Spartan

Author's Note: I wish to give a very special thanks to **Zivon96 **for being cool enough to drop a review. Even though the Apache didn't win the last fight, I still think it would have been a very close encounter.

Viking: The battle-crazed berserker who tore a path of destruction through Old Europe

(A group of Vikings are shown overrunning a group of defending soldiers, one of whom has their head split open by a much larger Viking's Dane Axe.)

Vs.

Spartan: The battlefield butcher of Ancient Greece

(A Spartan is shown slamming his aspis into the face of a Persian Immortal, while impaling another with his xiphos.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Viking:

Circa: 1000 A.D.

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Armor:

Riveted Chainmail

Spectacled Steel Helmet

Spartan:

Circa: 480 B.C.

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 165 lbs.

Armor:

Bronze Cuirass, Greaves and Arm Guards

Corinthian Helmet

"These are two of the fiercest warriors in all of history, known for their ferocity and their endurance," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "The Vikings lived for warfare, in fact, their idea of heaven was war and the Spartan, he was trained his entire life to do one thing, and that's kill his enemy."

"I'm siding with the Spartan," Dr. Armand Dorian spoke, "They endured the most brutal, merciless training ever known to the ancient world, perhaps the hardest training in all of known history. You have to be tough to survive that."

"I'm picking the Viking for this one," Geoff Desmoulin replied, "He was an in your face savage who would go through any means to win. He was there to kill his enemy, take his possessions, and then take them back for his own family."

_Vikings were sailors and warriors that settled across the northern lands, pirating and pillaging to obtain the natural resources and valuables essential to their survival._

"The Vikings were forged by the frigid climates of the great north, they were tough since the day they were born," Mack explained, "They lived for war and all who stood in their way were doomed."

_Vikings didn't just fight to plunder, but also to die in battle, believing that was their only way to Valhalla._

"They had an intrepid nature that enabled them to discover the Americas 400 years before Columbus, coupled with a religious view glorifying a violent death, they will truly be unlike anything the Spartan has ever encountered," Mack finished.

_The Viking brings to battle an assortment of deadly weapons that made them the most feared plunderers of their day:_

Short Range: Long Sword

Mid-Range: Dane Axe

Long Range: Boar Spear

Special: Shield

_Today the Viking will be going up against an equally brutal adversary who fought their way into history following one of the most famous last stands ever known._

_ Coming from the ancient city state of Sparta, every aspect of society was geared towards producing the perfect soldier._

"When an infant was born, they were carefully inspected by the elders. If there were any imperfections detected, you would quickly be cast off the cliff. At the age of 7, a boy would be trained to kill his enemies in one of the hardest training regimes ever known to man, one so brutal it was believed to have been the inspiration behind the grueling regime for today's Spetsnaz operatives," Mack explained.

_The Spartans eventually fought their way into history during the Greco-Persian War, particularly at the famed Battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartan warriors led by King Leonidas I went up against a force of Persian warriors numbering in the hundreds of thousands, fighting to the last man._

"These were Spartans we are talking about here. They knew they were outnumbered and likely going to die, but they didn't let that stop them from making one final stand in what could have been akin to an ancient version of the defense of the Alamo. It was their sacrifice which helped save Europe from Persian tyranny," Mack finished.

_The bronze powerhouse was outfitted with an assortment of brutal weapons that enabled him to cut down all who stood before him: _

Short Range: Xiphos

Mid-Range: Dory

Long Range: Javelin

Special: Aspis

_Both warriors will start out by showing off their equally brutal swords. Going up first will be a double-edged killer utilized to its fullest capacity by the Spartan._

"The Xiphos was a short sword measuring only a foot in length and weighing two pounds," weapons maker Dave Baker explained, "It had a leaf-shaped blade which made it easier to thrust and pull out of thick armor while causing more trauma in the process."

Hank took a few practice swings with his newly-acquired blade, while Jerry laughed in the background.

"Are you kidding me? That looks like nothing more than a giant pocketknife!" the rival weapons expert whooped.

Hank ignored the putdown and made his way over two ballistic gel torsos that had been set up for him, one bare and the other wearing the Viking's riveted chainmail.

"Alright Hank, we've set up two targets for you, one unarmored and the other armored. I want you to show us what the xiphos can do to an enemy," Geoff said gesturing towards the inanimate adversaries.

Hank did as he was told and took his position in front of the dummies.

"Hank, when you are ready, on 3…2…1! Hack 'em up!"

With a war cry, the weapons specialist thrust the short sword into the unarmored dummy's chest just below its ribcage. Having made his point with the first defeated opponent, he approached the chainmail-wearing torso and thrust into it, his blade penetrating the metal surface; however he would struggle to pull it out before finally doing so and slashing at it, his blade only managing to slice off a few rivets and thus doing no real damage.

"Alright let's assess the damage," Dr. Dorian said approaching the unarmored torso and pulling on his gloves, "Your thrust went right below the ribcage and its hit the metal rod being used to support this torso. Had this been an actual spinal cord you would have severed it, causing instant paralysis. It was also low enough to have severed the main aorta, instant death."

The good doctor then made his way over to the second torso and carefully removed the chainmail, "You've achieved the same results as before; however the penetration wasn't as deep, still enough to cause lethal trauma. The blade has shown lethal thrusting power, but compared to slashing techniques, I see little result."

"My sword is longer and made from superior metals. You might as well declare the edge already Geoff," Jerry said.

"Well, let's find out," Geoff replied.

_The Viking responds to the challenge with his famed long sword._

"The Viking's long sword was a straight-bladed, double-sided sword forged together from iron and steel," Dave Baker explained, "It could thrust and slash and due to the shortness of its hilt, it was almost always used one-handed. It was three feet in length and weighed three pounds."

Jerry thoroughly inspected the long sword before approaching two ballistic gel torsos, one clad in the bronze cuirass of a Spartan hoplite.

"Alright Jerry, it's going to be the exact same test for you. Whenever you are ready, hack 'em up!" Geoff said readying the high speed camera.

Jerry got into position and took a couple deep breaths while taking some practice swings with his long sword.

"On 3…2…1!" Geoff called out.

Jerry swung his sword at the unarmored torso, going for the head immediately and nearly cutting all the way through it just above the dummy's nose. He then impaled the torso through its neck, pulling his blade out and going for another swipe, taking its head clean off its shoulders and then stabbing hastily through its chest.

With the unarmored torso dealt with, Jerry makes his way over to the one wearing the bronze cuirass, swinging the sword, which clanged off the armor, leaving a noticeable dent. Seeing that wasn't effective enough, the weapons expert attempts to drive his sword through it, leaving a hole behind. Out of frustration, Jerry swung his blade higher and lopped off the dummy's head.

Dr. Dorian approached both mangled torsos to inspect the damage, starting with the unarmored.

"Pac-Man anyone?" the trauma doctor quipped, finding the top part of the skull sliced in half, "You've turned this guy into a human Pez dispenser. You have penetrated the brain cavity on your first strike alone, instant kill. Secondly, you impaled the man's neck and severed his spinal cord, another instant kill. Then there was a decapitation, instant kill, and lastly, you've destroyed the man's ribs and pierced his heart, guys I think you know the rest," he said looking towards Geoff and Mack.

"Instant kill," both men said in unison.

Dr. Dorian then made his way over to the armored torso and inspected the damage.

"With your first strike there was no penetration, although it is possible you could have struck him hard enough to possibly crack or even break a rib, gonna hurt the guy, but not kill him," Dr. Dorian explained before moving over to the hole, "And you've managed to pierce the armor, deep enough to cut him, but not deep enough to do any significant damage," the doctor explained, ignoring the dummy's severed head, not a planned part of the test.

"Heh, you were saying?" Hank said shaking his head at Jerry.

"Mine's still better at slashing," Jerry retorted, noticing a pig carcass suspended nearby. Taking his long sword he made his way over and slashed cleanly through it, nearly splitting it in half, the bottom portion hanging only by a few strips of flesh before he sliced through it again.

"If you ask me, that second slash was overkill," Dr. Dorian spoke up in mock fear as he walked over to assess the damage, "Cut clean through the spine and the pelvis, very impressive."

"Let's see you try," Jerry said to Hank, noting the short sword's poor performance at slashing.

Undeterred, Hank made his way over to another suspended pig carcass and slashed into it, leaving an impressive gash that would have inflicted serious trauma upon a human foe, but lacking the display of lethality from the Viking's long sword. Grunting in frustration, he delivered two more slashes before he nearly dismembered the pig, leaving its bottom half hanging by a few thin threads of flesh.

_Both swords have demonstrated their killing ability, but what does our panel think?_

"I'm definitely going with the long sword on this one," Geoff said, "It's longer and it's shown its effectiveness as a slashing weapon, even if it wasn't able to penetrate the cuirass. I'm still impressed by it overall."

"I'm gonna have to go with the xiphos," Dr. Dorian countered, "It might not be as effective at slashing and lack the long sword's reach, but its stabbing power does it for me, plus it can penetrate the Viking's chainmail. You also have to keep in mind that the Spartan is a well-armored killing machine with a large shield the Viking will have to get around."

Again, the crucial tiebreaker would fall down to Mack.

"I'm going to side with the long sword on this one," Mack answered, seemingly somewhat conflicted by his decision, "It's effective at both slashing and stabbing and granted, the xiphos deals out the trauma, still I'm finding myself more impressed by Scandinavian slasher."

_For short range weapons, the Viking takes the edge with the long sword._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out their mid-range arsenal, an iconic Viking head splitter going up against a sharpened spear that spilled the blood of many a Spartan adversary._

XXXXX

_Now it is time for both warriors to break out their mid-range arsenals. Up first will be the Viking with an iconic weapon known and feared throughout ancient Scandinavia, the Dane Axe._

"The Dane axe was a brutal battle tool with a thin iron head possessing pronounced 'horns' and a steel cutting edge. It had a five foot long wooden handle and weighed seven pounds altogether," Dave explained, "Its purpose was powerful, overhanded chops that took advantage of the Viking's great height."

A thick block of wood was set up in the fight club and Jerry stood nearby with his Dane axe in hand. Taking a deep breath, Jerry raises the axe high above his head and brings it down with all the force he can muster, easily chopping the block in two.

"We measured 11,000 newtons, that would be enough to sever a limb," Dr. Dorian reported.

"Heh great, you should come over and cut down that dead tree in my front yard. It's blocking my view of that hot lady who lives across from me," Hank chuckled.

"As it was with the long sword, we've once again set up two targets for you, one unarmored and the other wearing Spartan gear. Show us what you can do," Geoff said motioning towards two more ballistic gel torsos.

"On 3…2…1, hack 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

Raising the axe high above his head, Jerry brought it down into the unarmored torso, cleaving deep into its gel surface with a wet 'thuk' that made the others wince as the blade was pulled out and fake blood shot out.

With his first opponent dealt with, Jerry made his way over to the second target, outfitted in a bronze cuirass and Corinthian helmet worn by the ancient Spartan hoplites.

Again raising the axe high above his head, Jerry brought it down on top of the helmeted head, leaving a noticeable dent that completely destroyed the helmet's plume and almost cracked it in half. Focusing on the body, he turns the axe sideways and swings it hard into the torso, leaving another large dent, before rearing back and swinging two more times, the final blow finally breaking through the cuirass and leaving a small cut, a visibly fatigued Jerry nearly dropping his axe after the final blow.

"Your blow to the unarmored torso has nearly cleaved this man in half," Dr. Dorian reported while inspecting the deep cut, "You have gone beyond the heart and the lungs, this is comparable with the trauma of a victim being run over by a train."

The good doctor then made his way over to the second target to inspect the damage done. "The man's helmet did nothing to protect against your first blow," he said removing the heavily dented Corinthian helmet and inspecting the decimated plume, "You caused a massive skull fracture, instant kill," he said before moving down to inspect the cuirass and noticed the small cut left in its surface, "Your first blow alone would cause enough blunt force trauma to contuse the man's intestines and incapacitate him. Moving a little further up, you would have managed to crack a rib or two, as well as cause massive internal bleeding, but even with the cut you did manage to make you would cause only a flesh wound. This could very well be a delayed kill."

"I also noticed how fatigued you were at the end," Mack pointed out, "In spite of your weapon's power, that right there can be a great hindrance."

"My mid-range weapon is longer, faster and lighter," Hank smirked.

_The Spartan answers the Viking's challenge with the dory._

"The dory was the chief weapon of the Spartan hoplite, used most famously in their phalanx formation," Dave explained, "It was eight feet long and weighed five pounds. On one end you have the main weapon, the iron spearhead, and on the other you have the butt spike known as a 'Lizard Killer' that can be used as a secondary weapon, but was mainly used for stabbing downed enemies as they passed over them."

Hank stood with a dory in hand, making a few practice thrusts as he approached the ballistic gel torsos set up for him.

"Alright Hank, we have two targets set up for you, one unarmored and the other wearing a Viking's chainmail. As you did before, show us what you can do," Geoff said motioning towards the inanimate adversaries.

"When you are ready, on 3…2…1!" Geoff called out.

Hank shouted to his enemies and drove his spear into the unarmored torso, going clean through the intestines and with a mighty tug pulls it out, spilling some of the fake organs onto the floor below. He then makes his way over to the armored torso and thrusts the spear into it with a sickening tear, the chainmail doing nothing to protect its wearer, but causing some struggle for the weapons expert as the spear's point becomes entangled in some of the rivets before finally pulling it out. He then flips the spear over to the butt end and drives it in, not going as deep as the opposite end.

"Well, we have our answer for the first guy," Dr. Dorian said kneeling down and picking up the strand of artificial intestine, "Christ, you turned this to Swiss cheese," he said before making his way over to the second torso and carefully removing the chainmail shirt.

"This spear tore through that chainmail like it was a t-shirt," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the hole left behind, "In one thrust, you broke ribs, pierced the heart and lung, and lastly the spine. Had the target been unarmored, the spear point would have exited through the back. Your second strike didn't go as deep, but would have still pierced the man's lung, another instant kill."

_Both weapons have proven their deadliness, but which weapon do the experts think is better?_

"The axe definitely packs a punch, but it is cumbersome and can cause fatigue for the user. I'm going with the dory," Dr. Dorian started.

"The axe has the power, but remember it still has to get past the Spartan's shield, edge dory," Mack followed.

"I thought the Dane axe would have won this hands down, but the dory does have the reach and the speed, plus it involves less exertion for the user, edge dory," Geoff finished.

_In mid-range weapons, the Spartan takes the edge with his dory._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out ancient missiles and then we have a battle to determine once and for all who will be, 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_Now the time has come for both sides to break out their long ranged weapons. Up first will be the Spartan with the javelin._

"The javelin is a three foot long throwing spear with a small bronze tip on a short shaft," Dave explained, "It was typically used by a class of light infantry known as the 'peltast' and was thrown just before engaging their enemies at close range."

Three paper targets were set up and with them; three javelins were waiting on a nearby table.

Hank went over and picked up the first javelin, drawing his arm back and chucking it towards the first target, his aim going wide and only managing to strike the target's left arm. Picking up the second javelin, he tossed it and was a little more accurate with the second toss, striking the target close to the center target. Picking up the third and final javelin, he chucked it at the last target and barely nailed it in the side.

Dr. Dorian approached the targeted to examine the damage, "Alright this first strike is going to cripple your target's arm. It's not going to kill him, but it will render that arm useless."

"Keep in mind that could be the arm holding the shield," Jerry called out from the background, "Won't be any damage period if that's the case!"

Dr. Dorian nodded to the comment and made his way over to the second target, "Judging by the placement of this javelin, you will have managed to strike the target's lung. He's going to bleed out fast, that's a kill." He then made his way over to the last target, "This last javelin is going to likely become lodged in an area that won't have any vital organs. It's going to hurt him, but not kill him."

"From what I see it's very inaccurate, as well as slow, not a good combination on the battlefield, especially when you've got a large berserker coming at you head on," Geoff explained, eliciting a chuckle from Jerry.

"However, there is still one final test," Geoff said motioning towards a ballistic gel torso outfitted in Viking chainmail, "I think you know what to do."

Hank nodded and picked up the final javelin and took his position. Drawing his arm backward, he launched the pointed missile and it managed to strike the target head on, penetrating its chainmail defense.

Dr. Dorian walked over and pulled the javelin out to inspect the wound, "You have achieved a penetration of 2.5 to 3 inches and have struck the pancreas. That's going to incapacitate your opponent and eventually kill him."

"That javelin of yours belongs in the Olympics, it seems pretty sh-tty when dealing with an actual living, breathing opponent who can easily step around it," Jerry spoke up, "My spear is longer, more accurate, has more uses and two can be used at once!"

"The Viking boar spear was a very basic spear with a metal head on a wooden shaft that had multiple uses," Dave explained, "It had steel guards near the head that could block attacks and were sharpened to improve the cutting power and cause more trauma in the body. They were typically around seven feet in length and weighed six pounds."

Jerry was positioned in front of several circular wooden targets with large red 'X's' painted in the center. There were four boar spears lying on a table next to him.

"Vikings typically carried four spears at once, show us just how accurate these can be," Geoff instructed.

"With pleasure," Jerry nodded, picking up a spear and taking a position 25 feet away from the targets.

Taking a forward step, the weapons expert launched his spear and sent it flying into the first target, striking just above the 'X.'

Grabbing the second spear, Jerry tosses it and hits the target right in the dead center.

"Impressive," Geoff remarked with a whistle.

"Keep in mind, a very skilled Viking can also throw two spears at once," Jerry remarked before picking up the last two spears and chucking them simultaneously, both of them finding their intended targets.

There was one final test. Nearby another ballistic gel torso was set up, outfitted in a Spartan's bronze cuirass. Walking over to another table with three boar spears, Jerry picked up the first spear and hurled it at the dummy, managing to puncture the breastplate, yet it bounced off afterward. Grabbing the second spear, he chucked it and it bounced off, yet left a noticeable dent. Grabbing the third spear, he chucked it as hard as he could, the pointed projectile finding its mark just above the cuirass in the target's shoulder.

"I am seeing the same degree of penetration in all of these targets," Geoff said as he went to examine the circular wooden targets, "These would very likely be serious kill shots, or at least incapacitate an enemy to the point they would be left open to other attacks."

Meanwhile, Dr. Dorian made his way over to the ballistic gel torso.

"This first shot I'm seeing a quarter-sized hole left in the cuirass," he said cautiously poking it with his gloved finger, "That had deep enough penetration you could leave behind a flesh wound, but probably nothing too severe. Your second shot bounced off, but judging by the dent I'm seeing here, it would probably be enough to wind your enemy, maybe even break a rib." The trauma doctor then reached up and pulled the spear out of the hole it left behind, "With your last strike, you managed to basically destroy the man's shoulder and with it you've severed several vital blood vessels. This man is going to bleed out fast unless he receives immediate medical attention."

_Both weapons have a similar concept behind them, but where does our panel stand?_

"For me, the boar spear definitely takes the edge. It's faster, inflicts more trauma and requires less training," Geoff said.

"I agree that the javelin may be slow and inaccurate, but keep in mind that the spear would have a rough time against the Spartan's cuirass, not to forget it would also have to deal with the Spartan's aspis, whereas the javelin has shown more penetration capabilities against the Viking's unreliable armor. I'm sticking with the Spartan on this one," Dr. Dorian countered.

"I have to go with the spear on this one," Mack finished, "It seems to be more effective at all ranges and can be used as a regular thrusting spear up close, whereas the javelin would be a strictly longer range weapon, and even then it's not very accurate. Not only does it have that, but the fact that two can be thrown at once also helped its case."

_In long range weapons, the Viking takes the edge with his boar spear._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out their deadly shields in a show off equally effective offense and defense and then after that, two legendary warriors are resurrected in a battle to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_Now the time has come for both sides to reveal their equally deadly shields. Up first will be the Viking with his wooden shield._

"The Viking used a circular iron-rimmed wooden shield made from planks fastened together side by side," Dave explained, "It was meant to be chewed up as a fight went on and when struck with an ax or sword, the blade would be caught, enabling the user to perform just a simple twist to disarm his enemy, and was also particularly effective against arrows."

A foam target was set up with sensor patches and Jerry got into position in front of it with his shield at the ready.

Going for a feint attack as he would with a human adversary, Jerry swung the shield sideways, catching his foe in the neck. With the target reeling, he then placed the shield in front of him and charged it head on, knocking it to the floor.

"You generated enough PSI with that first blow to break the man's neck and possibly even inflict some skull trauma," Geoff said reading the meter, "and that second blow is going to break ribs and cause internal trauma. Your shield is definitely effective as both a defensive tool and a bludgeoning weapon."

"But how does it stand up against your opponent's weapons?" Mack asked.

A Viking shield was set up and Hank was positioned in front of it, armed with the Spartan's xiphos, dory and javelin.

"This is going to be a three pronged assault, long range, mid-range and short range. Hank, show us what you can do," Geoff said setting up the high speed cameras.

Hank nodded and picked up the javelin, chucking it at the shield. The pointed missile became stuck in the wooden surface, pointing outward like a large arrow.

With the long range attack carried out, Hank grabbed the dory and launched himself at the shield, his weapon leaving a visible crack. Having shown the capabilities of his long and mid-range weaponry, he then unsheathed the xiphos and swung it towards the shield, managing only to chip at the surface and then swinging again at the rim, leaving a dent. Showing the slashing approach was ineffective; he thrust the short sword outward, leaving another crack in its surface.

"The javelin failed to fully pierce the wooden surface," Geoff said observing the worn shield, "You're probably going to slow your enemy down, but not hurt him. The dory though has had greater success, you've managed to punch through it and you would possibly be lacerating the arm behind it. Lastly, the xiphos didn't do much damage when slashing at the shield, but you did manage to punch through it a second time. This shield is going to be worthless pretty fast," Geoff remarked, prompting Hank to smirk at Jerry.

_While the Viking's shield has proven its diversity as a defensive and offensive tool, let's see what happens when the Spartan responds with a deadly shield of his own._

"The aspis is one of the largest shields ever used, four feet in diameter and weighing in at 24 pounds," Dave explained, "It consisted of several layers of riveted wooden planks covered in a layer of bronze with a layer of leather in between to absorb the shock. It can break necks and shatter skulls with relative ease."

To test the lethality of the shield, the panel has set up a crash test dummy with four pressure sensors placed around the body.

"Alright Hank, show us what you can do, in 3…2…1!" Geoff shouted.

Hank whirled the shield back around his hip and swung it sideways, striking the dummy in its torso before drawing back again and striking it in the temple before going for another rapid swing and striking it in the neck. To finish his enemy, he brought the shield up in front of him and charged forward, knocking it from its supports and sending it collapsing to the floor, the weapons expert adding one final stomp to his downed opponent's head.

"Your first shot was swung at an angle that caught your target in both his chest and his upper arm. This man would have broken ribs, damage to internal organs and you've shattered the bones in his upper arm, rendering it useless. Your strike to the temple inflicted 45 G's of pressure, that's enough to cause a depressed skull fracture and send pieces into the man's brain, causing a laceration and with it an immediate kill. Your shot to the neck would have broken the man's C1 vertebrae, instant death," Dr. Dorian explained.

"What's also impressive if that you managed to generate anywhere between 45 and 58 G's with each strike, roughly the same force of a low speed collision or an IED explosion," Geoff added.

"There is the question of fatigue though," Mack added.

"Spartans were trained since early childhood and by the time their training was complete, they would have hefted this shield like it was nothing," Hank replied.

As it was before, the aspis was set up and Jerry waited nearby with a long sword, Dane axe and boar spear.

"Same thing as it was before, Jerry you are going to carry out a multi-pronged assault utilizing the Viking's weapons. Show us what you can do," Geoff said setting up the high speed cameras.

Jerry nodded and picked up the boar spear, tossing it at the aspis, bouncing off its bronzed surface, leaving only a dent behind.

Undeterred, Jerry drew the Dane axe and swung at the aspis, not once, but three times before the weapons expert started feeling winded and dropped the cumbersome axe to the floor, drawing the long sword and swinging repeatedly at it before attempting a final stab, which caused the tip to glance off its metallic surface.

In the end, the results were embarrassing.

"I'm seeing only structural damage inflicted here," Geoff said approaching and carefully inspecting all of the dents left behind, "I don't think you're going to do much damage to the man behind the shield."

"I do see you managed to generate 425 psi with the axe," Dr. Dorian said reading aloud the results from the computer, "That right there could cause at least one broken bone in the user's arm."

"The Spartan spent his entire life in pain. One broken bone would be nothing to him," Hank smirked before turning his attention to Jerry, "Looks like someone's gonna be taking a one way trip to Valhalla."

"Heh, it's gonna be Thermopylae all over again for your boy," Jerry sarcastically retorted.

_Both shields have proven their defensive value, but what does our panel think?_

"Aspis all the way," Dr. Dorian started, "None of the Viking's weapons were able to penetrate it and it's surprisingly fast for as big and cumbersome as it looks."

"I have to agree," Geoff followed, "It provides just as much lethal offense as it can reliable defense. Aspis all the way."

"Gentlemen, I believe you've spoken for me already, aspis it is," Mack finished.

_In special weapons, the Spartan takes the edge with the aspis._

_ Coming up, the X-factors of each warrior are gauged and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"For ferocity, both men were some of the most brutal warriors to ever live, but the Vikings in question are not the notorious 'berserkers,' so we gave it to the Spartan for how scrappy he was, a 94 to the Viking's 89."

"For training, the Spartan was trained from childhood in one of the most brutal institutions known to man, an entire life that was dedicated to crafting the perfect soldier. The Spartan takes a 100 to the Viking's 81."

"For physicality, again the Spartan takes it due to his lifetime of training. He gets a 97 to the Viking's 91."

"For intimidation, this is another even matchup for both sides. On one side, you've got the larger Vikings coming at you in a horde, ready to destroy everything they come across and are famous for shouting nonstop before, during and after combat. On the other side, you've got a heavily-armored killing machine that is ready to charge at you head on, no fear of death. Both sides are given a 95."

"Finally, we have killer instinct. Both men are born killers who have no fear of dying on the battlefield. Again this is dead even, both men being given a 100."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

"This is going to be a battle of two warriors very similar to each other in terms of endurance and brutality, but in the end there can be only one. Let's find out whom," Mack said before flipping the switch.

XXXXX

A lone Spartan hoplite patrolled along the Spartan coast, on guard following rumors of an impending invasion being carried out by a savage northern tribe making its presence felt in the surrounding areas.

Eventually, the lone warrior came to a cove where he spotted a strange wooden vessel unlike anything he had ever seen before and from the bottom of the hill he could hear movement. Readying himself for a fight, he jabbed his javelin into the ground and took a defensive position, his dory in one hand and aspis in the other.

A lone Viking ascends the hill, his long sword in one hand and a boar spear in the other, scouting for his colleagues as they seek new villages to plunder. As he reaches the top, he comes face to face with the solitary Spartan.

The hoplite lets out a feral battle cry to the Scandinavian invader, grabbing his javelin and launching it towards the bigger man. Unfortunately, he aimed too high and the pointed projectile sailed harmlessly over the Viking's head.

The Viking responded by hurling his boar spear towards the Spartan defender, who brought his shield up to deflect the spear. As was typical, the marauder had three extra spears on him, grabbing another and chucking it towards his armored adversary, who again swatted it away with his shield. Seeing the man wasn't going to stop, the Viking grabbed his last two spears and hurled them towards his opponent.

As it was with the first two, the Spartan managed to bring his shield up in time to deflect the third spear, but the fourth had made contact, slashing into the Greek warrior's arm. Thanks to his brutal training in the Agoge, he was able to shrug it off and continued his charge.

Knowing his opponent wasn't going to give up, the Viking reached for his shield and mounted a charge of his own.

Both men charged at full speed with their shields in front of them, colliding with a massive _'dong,'_ the Viking's size playing in his favor as the Spartan was knocked backwards.

With his opponent taken from his feet, the Viking pulled out his Dane axe and viciously swung it downward, but the Spartan used his shield to cover his body. Undeterred, the Scandinavian marauder brought the axe up again and swung it downward, but again the Spartan blocked his blow. The Viking repeated the process a third time, but again no luck and stopped to regain his strength.

The Spartan saw the glaring hole in his opponent's offense and quickly reached for his xiphos, shooting it upward and slicing the bigger man's thigh. His opponent cried out in pain and the hoplite swung his shield upward, knocking the Viking backwards.

His opponent reeling, the Spartan pushes himself back to his feet and advanced upon the larger man with his bloodied short sword drawn. Drawing his arm back he went for a powerful slice, but the Viking recovered just in time to bring his shield up, the Greek warrior only managing to take a chip out of its wooden surface. Undeterred, the hoplite again drew his arm back and went for another slice, but his blade clanged against the wooden shield's iron rim and the Viking recovered in time to shoot his long sword downward, stabbing the Spartan through his foot.

The hoplite shrieked in pain and the Viking attempted to take advantage, closing the gap in an attempt to draw cut his enemy across the back, but the Spartan reflexively shot his aspis outward to keep his opponent at bay. With his assailant close to him, the Greek warrior attempted to same maneuver, but the Viking's chainmail protected him from the xiphos' slash and he brought his shield up to swat the smaller man away.

The Spartan was royally pissed off now and sheathed his short sword, drawing his dory spear and charging forward as fast as his injured foot would allow.

The Viking saw him coming and quickly dodged as the hoplite shot his spear outward, bringing his sword around and going for a slash directed at the Greek's side, but ending with his blade bouncing off the Spartan's cuirass.

The Spartan was slightly winded from the failed blow, but quickly shrugged it off and went for another thrust with his dory, this time connecting with the Viking's shield and cracking it, but finding its point stuck in it as well. The Viking saw another opponent and twisted his shield, attempting to pull the hoplite towards him as he drew his sword back in an attempt to slice off the man's arm, but he was out of range and brought it down on the dory, slicing the spear in half.

Again unarmed, the Spartan was forced to draw his short sword and he cautiously circled the Viking, ready for his next move.

The Viking shot his long sword downward at the Spartan's leg, sending the armored warrior blocking low, but it was a feint attack and the Scandinavian quickly swung his arm around in a shortcut directed at his opponent's throat, but the scrappy Spartan brought his aspis up in time for his opponent's blade to bounce off the edge. The marauder swings his sword again, but the walking Greek battle tank brought his short sword up to parry the blow and swung his shield sideways to knock the bigger man from his feet.

With no time to reach for his shield, the Viking quickly pushed himself back to his feet and tried to swing low at the Spartan's leg, but the Spartan again had his aspis ready to absorb the blow, going for another slash with his xiphos only for it to bounce off the Viking's chainmail. Refusing to halt his advance, the Viking went for another slash with his long sword, only for it to be caught by the aspis, which the Spartan hoplite would respond to with another slash, this time going low and striking the marauder in his hamstring.

The Viking cried out in pain and was forced to a knee, opening him up for the Spartan to deliver a backhanded strike to his face; breaking both his cheek and jawbone simultaneously.

With his opponent floored, the Spartan stepped over his adversary and shot his short sword downward into the Norseman's throat, turning his flowing blond beard a deep shade of crimson as a torrent of blood spurted from the wound.

Victorious, the Spartan stepped backward and looked around for any more enemies before raising his bloody sword into the air and crying out "SPARTA!"

XXXXX

Winner: Spartan

Xiphos: 52

Dory: 210

Javelin: 9

Aspis: 382

Total: 653

Viking

Long Sword: 175

Dane Axe: 104

Boar Spear: 18

Shield: 50

Total: 347

_In a battle of two similarly ferocious warriors, the Spartan prevailed in a battle much more lopsided than expected, largely thanks in part to his aspis._

"I'm surprised this battle was more tilted in favor of the Spartan than expected," Geoff explained, "but when you look deeper into it, you have to consider the Spartan also possessed the superior armor and a lifetime of intensive training that allowed him to prevail as 'The Deadliest Warrior.'

(The Spartan limps back to his city following a grueling battle, intending to warn his king about an invasion likely to follow. For now, he will relax and let his wounds heal, having claimed his fallen challenger's Dane Axe as a souvenir.)

XXXXX

_Next time on 'Deadliest Warrior' it's a battle of the brutal conquerors:_

Roman Centurion: The killer commander who led the way who led the way for the Roman Republic to become an empire.

Vs.

Mongol: The brutal raider who led the charge to conquer more territory than any other empire in continuous history.

XXXXX

Author's Note: The only thing I really changed here from what was shown on the show was making the Viking's long sword his short range weapon rather than mid-range, and making the Viking's axe his mid-range rather than short range. I also tweaked the names, the "Great Axe" becoming the "Dane Axe" and the "Spear" becoming the "Boar Spear."

That's all I have to say so until then, read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	5. Roman Centurion vs Mongol

Author's Note: I want to give a very special thanks to **DeadAliveManiac** for pointing out that 'ild' is just a generic Mongol term for sword and that he believed the exact make of sword the Mongol used on the show was the 'piandao.'

Due to the Mongol fighting a fellow swordsman in this episode, I have switched around his short range and special weapons as opposed to how they were presented on the show.

**Enigma – **Thank you for the suggestion. I do have something planned for the Ottoman Janissary, but won't spoil whom I would face them off against. Also, not trying to sound like a dick or anything, but if you have an actual account on here, please use that to post reviews on here. I'm just saying so that way I can interact directly with you if I want to respond to your ideas or wish to bounce ideas off of you for future chapters. I'll have to look more into the Papa Guard too.

I think that's it for the pre-chapter notes so ON WITH THE STORY!

XXXXX

Roman Centurion: The brutal battlefield commander who marched on the frontlines as the Roman Empire conquered most of the known ancient western world…

(A Centurion is shown leading his troops as they prepare to raid a city.)

Vs.

Mongol: The merciless marauder who combined brute savagery and master horsemanship to conquer half the known world in the 13th century.

(A horde of Mongol horsemen are shown charging across a grassy battlefield, cutting down enemy soldiers with well-placed shots from their bows and slicing down a few stragglers with their swords.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Roman Centurion:

Circa: 120 A.D.

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 170 lbs.

Armor:

Lorica Segmentata

Galea

Iron Greaves

Scutum

Mongol:

Circa: 1225 A.D.

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 145 lbs.

Armor:

Leather Lamellar

Leather Shield

"This is going to be a battle of two of the most brutal conquerors in history," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "These are men who trampled all who stood in their path. No fear, no compassion, no remorse, their only objective was to expand their empire and to slaughter in the name of their leader. Neither side is going to give up without a fight."

"This is a hard decision given the ferocity of both warriors, but in the end I'm going to side with the Centurion," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin started, "History speaks for itself with them belonging to an empire that lasted for well over a thousand years compared to the drip in the bucket that was the Mongol Empire, they would never have accomplished that with incompetent warriors at their disposal."

"I'm siding with the Mongol," trauma doctor Armand Dorian countered, "They were the most feared warriors of their day and it was their innovative tactics that enabled them to conquer half the known world. When I think of them, I think of an entire horde of madmen charging head on at me at a lightning quick pace, ready to poke me full of holes before I can even blink."

_The Centurion was a high-ranking officer in the Roman army, leading a unit known as a _'centuria'_ consisting of 80 men, whom they were directly responsible for training._

"The Centurion was cutting edge for his day because for one of the first times in history, a man could make his living entirely through warfare and killing," Mack explained, "They were selected for their skill and valor, having served anywhere between 10 and 20 years before they could attain their rank. You would have to be damn tough in order to live long enough to receive that kind of promotion in those days."

_The Centurion fought on the frontlines as the Roman Republic expanded into the Roman Empire, which would at its height contain territorial holdings in Mediterranean Europe, Africa and Asia._

"They were the elite of the elite who fought only for the glory of Rome. They were a symbol of order and respect who sought to display the skill and courage which got them their rank in the first place," Mack finished.

_The Centurion brings a brutal conquering arsenal to the battlefield:_

Short Range: Gladius

Mid-Range: Pilum

Long Range: Plumbata

Special Weapon: Dolabra

_But today, the Centurion will be going up against an equally brutal conqueror with a well-deserved fearsome reputation._

_ United under Genghis Khan in 1206, what started out as various tribes would soon morph into a powerful empire, forming the largest continuous empire in world history and the second largest altogether, one stretching from the Pacific Ocean all the way to the borders of Eastern Europe._

"Their only mission was to conquer everything in their path," Mack explained, "Anybody who didn't bow down to the Khan would have been wiped from history."

_Famed for their horsemanship and marksmanship, Mongol forces were known to separate enemy formations to break them down and pick them apart at their leisure, leaving only one man to warn their leaders of the oncoming forces._

"It was estimated that there were over forty million casualties as a result of the Mongols' actions as they slaughtered their enemies by the thousands and worked the slaves they took to death. Hell, they were believed to have inadvertently spread the Black Death across Europe and Asia," Mack explained, "Indeed they will be unlike anything the Centurion has ever encountered."

_The Mongol brings some wicked tools of his bloody trade to the table:_

Short Range: Piandao

Mid-Range: Glaive

Long Range: Mongol Composite Bow

Special Weapon: Iron Flanged Mace

_Both teams start about up close and personal with their respective swords. Up first will be the Roman Centurion with his gladius._

"The gladius was a straight-bladed Roman short sword that measured 30 inches in length, forged from a hard steel blade with a hilt made from corrugated bone," weapons maker Dave Baker explained, "It was made primarily for thrusting, although it could cut and slice."

Jerry stood at the ready with a gladius in one hand and a Roman scutum in the other. In front of him was a ballistic gel torso suspended from two cables, outfitted in the leather lamellar worn by Mongol warriors.

"Alright Jerry, we've rigged up this torso to simulate a charging Mongol," Geoff explained, "We want you to show us the gladius' stabbing power at various points around the armor and its slashing capabilities."

"Gotcha," he replied getting into his combative stance.

"On 3…2…1, release the Mongol!" Geoff ordered.

The suspended torso was sent charging towards Jerry on its zip line, halted as the weapons expert brought his scutum up to shove it backwards a few steps and then swung his blade around to hack into his target's arm, nearly severing it before plunging it through the armor, the arm finally falling as the inanimate enemy jerked backwards. He then pulled the blade out just as the torso again pressed towards him, but again he brought the scutum up and shoved his target backwards before giving a second stab, this time a little higher. The torso continued its approach and was shoved back by another hard smack from Jerry's wooden shield, stabbing his target a third time just above the armor and then bringing his blade around to hack into its other arm, higher this time and leaving the entire limb hanging by a few threads of gel.

Dr. Dorian pulled on his gloves and approached the torso, "Your first slash has shown that despite this weapon's fame as a stabbing weapon, it can also be capable of chopping off arms. This first slash hacked right through the bone and left it literally hanging by a thread before it finally fell off," the doctor explained tossing the severed arm aside and then carefully removing the lamellar, "Your first stab went right through the liver, he's gonna die pretty quick. Your second stab punched right through a rib and into the lung, leaving it to fill up with blood and causing him to drown on it. Your last stab went a little higher, right through the clavicle, going to tear through sensitive muscle tissue and get at the blood vessels, another bleed out. Your last slash cut right into the man's shoulder and is going to sever more vital blood vessels. All your strikes will kill your enemy within varying timeframes."

"Don't get too confident. We're just getting started remember," Hank harrumphed as Jerry admired his blade's dirty work.

_The Mongol responds with the piandao._

"The piandao had a curved, single-edged blade with a hilt designed for single-handed use. The degree of its curvature varied from almost straight to nearly three-quarters of a circle. It varied from 30-34 inches in length and usually weighed around three pounds," Dave explained, "It was primarily a slashing weapon with only slightly curved versions that were able to be used for thrusting. It could be used on foot, but its primary value came from horseback."

A pig carcass was set up and Hank stood with the ild at the ready.

"High speed is up. Hank, show us what your bad boy can do," Geoff shouted.

The weapons expert launched himself forward, attacking the carcass with an almost feral ferocity. In the end, he managed to land ten strikes upon his opponent, severing the ribcage and spinal cord.

"Plain as day, you managed to sever your enemy's spinal cord and ribcage, the former being an instant kill and the latter causing debilitating injuries that will slow your enemy down and enable you to get that all too precious killing blow," Dr. Dorian explained.

"Your striking speed was clocked in at 67 miles per hour, coming at your enemy like a bolt of lightning," Geoff said offering his readings from his radar gun.

"I'm seeing pure slashing attacks being used against an unarmored opponent," Mack said examining the dismembered carcass, "I want to see what you can do against an armored enemy."

"Gladly," Hank replied.

As was before, a ballistic gel torso was suspended from the ceiling, this time clad in the lorica segmentata and iron galea helmet worn by a Centurion.

"High speed is up, when you are ready cut 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

The dummy was released and went charging towards Hank, who quickly swung at it with his piandao, a loud clang as metal met metal, leaving a dent in the armor before he swung a little lower, leaving another dent before he went for a stab and managed to leave a small hole behind before slashing a little higher and catching the torso across its face, then bringing his blade down to amputate both of its arms before raising it high again and bringing it down right on top of the galea, another dent left behind.

"Your first two swings only managed to dent the segmentata," Dr. Dorian explained tracing a finger along the dents, "Nothing serious, but could possibly wind your opponent. As for your stab, you were using a weapon that isn't as renowned for its stabbing abilities, but you did manage to pierce the armor and got the blade partially into the dermis, and at a point where you could have possibly poked a rib, but I don't think it'll be anything other than a flesh wound depending upon the make of the blade. Your slash across the face was deep enough to cause an instant kill and you amputated both arms, something he will quickly bleed out from. Your blow to the helmet generated 30 psi, which would stun your opponent, but not kill."

"From what I'm seeing your weapon is definitely effective as a slashing tool, but it struggles with metallic-based armor," Geoff explained, "You'd basically have to go for the neck, face and limbs to really do any damage."

"Unlike the gladius, my weapon can be used effectively from horseback," Hank replied.

"But this is a foot battle we are talking about here and your guy's leather lamellar is nothing to the might of the gladius," Jerry retorted.

_In a battle of two fierce swords, where does our panel stand?_

"I'm gonna go with the gladius on this one," Geoff started, "It can pierce through the lamellar like it's nothing and in addition to its fame as a stabbing weapon has shown it's equally capable of hacking."

"True, the gladius can hit your enemy in places without exposing the user to danger while using a shield, edge gladius," Mack seconded.

"The piandao has shown it can be a deadly slashing weapon and can be effectively used from horseback, but this is a foot battle we are talking about," Dr. Dorian explained, "It has also shown that it has trouble against the Centurion's armor and it was only when it struck unarmored areas that it could kill. My edge has to go to the gladius for this."

_In short range weapons, the Roman Centurion takes the edge with his gladius._

_Coming up, it's a battle of mid-range weaponry as a multi-dimensional javelin goes up against a long reaching bladed staff._

XXXXX

_Now comes the time for both warriors to break out their mid-range weapons, up first will be the Mongol with the glaive._

"The glaive was a polearm weapon common throughout Europe and Asia," Dave explained, "It consists of a long blade atop a wooden shaft measuring between six and eight feet in length. Much like a halberd, it was effective at slashing and stabbing, as well as possessing a hook that could be used for pulling riders from horseback."

"This was the preferred weapon of Mongol infantry," Hank explained showing off his newly-crafted glaive, "You could easily kill a horse with this thing, taking away your enemy's advantage."

"We've set up a special test for this weapon to show off its primary specialty," Geoff said motioning towards a nearby zip line, where a beef carcass shaped like a horse had been set up, "When you are ready, show us what this bad boy can do."

Hank nodded and got into position with his glaive at the ready.

"Release the horse!" Geoff ordered.

With Mack pulling a crank, the beef figure was let loose and when it got within range, Hank stabbed the glaive into it at its neck, tearing through the entire body as it passed.

"For the lack of a better cliché, it tore through that horse like a hot knife through butter," Geoff laughed.

"Keep in mind you are going up against a human adversary, one with armor and some badass weaponry at his disposal," Jerry countered, unimpressed by the brutal display.

To answer Jerry's challenge, another ballistic gel torso was set up wearing the armor of a Centurion complete with a scutum.

"Attack," Geoff commanded.

Hank flipped the glaive over to its hook end and pulled the scutum away from his target, stabbing into the torso, but not getting much in the way of results for his first thrust. He delivered two additional thrusts before going for a slash that bounced off the segmentata armor.

"I'm seeing only superficial damage to the armor with your first strike, but the last two managed to penetrate and could cause possible internal damage to your foe," Dr. Dorian explained before examining with the slash connected, "Once again, you utilized a slashing attack that failed to penetrate the Centurion's armor," the trauma doctor explained, eliciting another chuckle from Jerry.

"That toy looks scary, but it's all hype," Jerry laughed, "My weapon might look simple, but it's just as deadly."

_The Roman Centurion answers the challenge with the pilum._

"The pilum was a javelin used by the Roman armies," Dave started, "It was six feet long and weighed six pounds, ending with an iron shank that had a pyramidal head that made it superior at penetrating armor. It had a maximum throwing distance of 100 feet, though its effective range was between 50 to 65 feet. It was purposely designed so that the shank bent or broke off from its wooden shaft upon impact to prevent the opponent from being able to throw it back."

"You've gotta be kidding me! You talk about 'overgrown toothpicks,' well what the hell do you think that is?" Hank incredulously exclaimed as Jerry prepared a set of pilums.

"Alright Jerry, we have prepared a test aimed at showing off the pilum's primary function as a throwing weapon," Geoff explained motioning to a spot where three white bags were suspended from the ceiling with a leather shield positioned beneath them, "Each of these blood bags possesses the rough density of human tissue and beneath them, we have the kind of leather shield utilized by Mongol warriors. Show us what this 'toothpick' can do."

"Gladly," Jerry smirked towards Hank before grabbing a pilum and getting into position.

Drawing his arm back, the weapons expert tossed the pilum forward and it hit one of the bags with a wet _'thuk,'_ a torrent of stage blood gushing from the bag and spilling all over the floor below. Smirking at his first successful hit, he reaches for a second pilum and tosses it at the next bag, another direct hit. He grabs the next pilum and strikes the last bag to deliver another successful strike. He grabs the last pilum and aims for the leather shield, tossing it and sending it right through with a loud crack.

"All of those pilums were dead on and all would be deep enough to be kills," Dr. Dorian reported as he made his way over and checked the pilum sticking through the shield, "And this shot right here won't be a kill, but it strikes in an area where you are going to hit the user's arm and possibly cripple it."

_Both mid-range weapons have proven their worth in battle, but where do our experts stand?_

"I'm gonna have to go with the pilum," Geoff started, "In spite of its relatively simple appearance, it has flexible killing potential as both a spear and throwing projectile."

"I disagree, the glaive is akin to a halberd with its intended uses and I've seen how deadly those weapons can be, edge glaive," Dr. Dorian countered.

"But it has trouble getting past the Centurion's segmentata armor. I'm siding with the pilum on this one," Mack finished, "Although it has a longer tip, it is a strictly close range weapon. You don't have to worry about its range if you can take out your enemy from afar, edge pilum."

_In mid-range weapons, the Centurion takes the edge with his pilum._

_Coming up, a mini-javelin goes head to head against the very weapon which made the Mongol the most feared warrior of his day and then later on, both brutal conquerors are resurrected in a duel to the death._

XXXXX

_Now the time comes to break out the long range arsenal. The Centurion will start things out with the plumbata._

"The plumbata was a lead-weighted dart primarily carried by infantrymen during the Antiquity and well into the Middle Ages," Dave explained, "They were roughly 18 inches in length and had a wooden shaft for its handle and was fletched below with two flights 180 degrees apart. It was then attached to an iron shank and in the middle of the dart was the lead weight and on the pointed end was a barbed head. It could be thrown both over and underhanded."

To test the effectiveness of the weighted darts, five different foam targets had been set up and with them was a gel torso outfitted in the Mongol's leather lamellar. Jerry strode in with an entire quiver full of plumbatas ready to fire.

"When you are ready, punch it!" Geoff ordered.

Jerry pulled out a plumbata and tossed it overhand, his first dart nicking a torso. He quickly pulled out a second and tossed it underhand, managing to strike, wasting no time going for a third dart and hitting the first target near the center of its chest. He repeated the process with the other targets until he came to the ballistic gel torso and tossed two plumbatas at it, one bouncing off the lamellar vest and the other sticking in. With his last few he directed them at unprotected areas of the torso, only one of his darts managing to connect.

"Let's see what we've got here," Dr. Dorian said walking over to inspect the first foam target, "Your first victim has darts sticking in its cheek and between the eyes, both instant kills. When we move a little further down we see the one that nearly hit the center of its chest, that will pierce a lung and that will be an eventual kill. Your second target I'm seeing the plumbata going through his throat and piercing his windpipe, this one's a kill," the doctor said, ignoring the other weighted darts that would have either grazed or left minor wounds on his opponent. "For our third target, I'm not seeing anything at all," Dr. Dorian reported, feeling the foam surface for any nicks or tears, prompting a collective 'ooh' from Mack and Geoff, "Our fourth guy I'm seeing more success. You've got darts in his cheek, neck and nose, all kill shots, plus another in his shoulder, going to render his arm useless. Our last foam target, you've struck him in the stomach, going to slow him down, and then you've nailed his liver and lungs, both kills."

Lastly there was the gel torso, "And now we move over to our last guy where your first dart bounced off, leaving a dent, but no penetration, and your second one that connected got stuck and could possibly leave a flesh wound, but nothing too severe. Your last dart managed to connect with the side of its head, striking your victim in the temporal lobe for a kill."

"Granted you managed to get some kills in, but I'm seeing a lot more of those darts ending up in the grass than I am in the targets," Mack pointed out, "Not something we like to see."

"Altogether you had five kills and one survivor left to tell the tale," Dr. Dorian reported.

"A survivor that could possibly shoot you where you stand," Geoff added.

"Now that this little game of lawn darts is over, I can show you a real weapon, the very weapon that made the Mongols the most feared warriors of their day," Hank called out while arriving on a horse.

_The Mongol answers the long distance challenge with the famed Mongol Composite Bow._

"This powerful bow was made of wood, sinew and animal horn," Hank said introducing his bow, "It's very high-powered and can even penetrate plate armor. It had a maximum range of 500 meters and could target individual soldiers up to 200 meters away. Mongols used a variety of arrows, including fire arrows."

"Well you're going to get the same test, this time with a gel torso wearing Centurion armor. Whenever you are ready, get in position," Geoff said motioning towards the five new foam targets and the gel torso now wearing the Centurion's lorica segmentata and galea helmet.

Hank got his horse into position and readied an arrow. Waiting for the signal from Geoff, the weapons expert motioned for his horse to begin and he raced past the line of targets, firing an arrow that caught the target just above the center and in rapid motion loaded another arrow, firing it and catching another target in the torso over what would have been its left pectoral.

"Wow, this is dead on," Geoff said watching the process as Hank ran back and forth several times, firing every arrow he had, only missing two shots.

The time came for the gel torso and Hank fired a shot that managed to penetrate the segmentata before firing two more arrows that struck the target in unarmored vital areas.

Eventually he ran out of arrows and brought his horse to a halt so Dr. Dorian could assess the damage.

"Your first shot struck this guy just above the dead center in a spot where you would be wrecking his sternum, that's a kill. Your second shot tore through his left pectoral and would go right through his heart, an instant kill. Moving over to the second guy…sh-t! You got this guy right through the eye and another shot right through the nose, a shot that would sever his brain stem! Both are instant kills. Moving lower, I'm seeing two shots to the stomach, together those would kill. Your third guy has an arrow tearing through the side of his neck in a spot that would rip open his jugular and cause him to bleed out, instant kill. Moving further down on him, you hit him in the appendix, which will spread toxic waste throughout his system and lead to another kill. The fourth guy, you only hit him once, but it was a shot that would leave the arrow sticking out of his spine, a kill. The last guy, you got him with shots to the intestines, the aorta and the liver, all kills. Moving over to our armored target, your arrow penetrated his segmentata and in a spot that nails the aorta, that's a kill. Your last two shots, the first arrow strikes the guy right through his cheek and his halted only by his helmet, that's a kill and the last, gets him in the throat."

"Altogether you had six kills, a very impressive display where you missed only two shots," Geoff finished.

_Both sides have displayed their long range arsenal, where do our experts stand?_

"I think this is going to be unanimous, the bow and arrow," Geoff started, Dr. Dorian and Mack nodding in unison.

"Bow all the way," Dorian replied.

"I agree, the bow has better speed and better accuracy, edge bow," Mack finished.

_In long range weapons, the Mongol takes the edge with his composite bow._

_Coming up, both sides break out their special weapons and then after that, it's a duel to the death to decide who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_Now it is time for both sides to show off their special weapons. Up first will be the Mongol with his iron flanged mace._

"The iron flanged mace was a bludgeoning staff weapon consisting of a flanged head on the end of a long handle," Dave explained, "It was typically a short weapon measuring in at two or three feet for foot soldiers and longer variations for cavalrymen. It can break arms, shatter ribs and crush skulls like they are eggshells."

A ballistics gel skull outfitted with a galea had been set up, flanked by two synthetic bone skulls.

"Alright Hank, you're going to show us what this can do. The ballistic gel skull has been outfitted with a pressure sensor beneath the helmet. All you have to do now, is destroy," Geoff explained.

"Gladly," Hank nodded.

"When you are ready, on 3…2…1, smash it up!" Geoff shouted.

With a mighty roar, Hank launched himself at the first skull, bringing the mace down and shattering it to pieces, prompting a collective gasp of awe from the onlookers. He then approached the second skull, drew his arm back, and repeated the process of devastation. It was time for the final skull and he drew the mace back, bringing it down on top of the helmet and denting it inward like an aluminum can.

"I'm sure you've all heard the phrase 'bull in a China shop,' well that's what we've got here," Dr. Dorian laughed, kicking aside some of the fragments, "These skulls are more unidentifiable than a shot from a 1 ounce slug."

He then made his way over to the ballistic gel skull and removed the dented helmet, "Oh boy, this man's brains are completely liquefied and his neck is snapped like a twig. This helmet did nothing to protect the guy."

"That's a miniature weapon of mass destruction you've got in your hands there," Mack said to Hank.

"You completely shattered these skulls in 16 seconds flat and with a force of over 300 psi, very impressive," Geoff said.

"Let's see you top that," Hank smirked to Jerry.

"That weapon is too one dimensional, my special weapon can cut, hack and stab all in one," Jerry countered.

_The Roman Centurion answers the challenge with the dolabra._

"The dolabra was similar to a modern pickaxe," Jerry explained, "It was primarily used as an entrenching tool by the Roman legions, but when necessary, it made a deadly improvised weapon."

"Great, I'll give you a call when I'm putting in that new barbecue pit," Hank laughed.

Jerry ignored his fellow weapons tester's comment and made his way over to another area where a ballistics gel torso had been set up, this one also wearing leather lamellar.

"Jerry, when you are ready, hack 'em up!" Geoff called out.

With a mighty war cry of his own, Jerry swung the axe end downward onto the torso's left arm, nearly severing it, before swinging the axe end upward and severing the top of the torso's skull in one deadly blow, prompting more gasps of awe from the onlookers. He then brought the axe end down onto the dummy's right arm, leaving it hanging by a thread. He then flipped the dolabra over to its pick end and swung right into the lamellar three times in succession.

"Hope I've made my point," Jerry smirked back to Hank, brandishing the dolabra's pick end in emphasis.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to the torso to assess the damage, "Your first swing shattered the bone, ripped through both the biceps and triceps, and severed the brachial artery all in one swing, a definite kill."

He then reached down to pick up the top half of the splintered skull, "Obviously we know this is a kill," he said casually tossing it aside and then going over to the right arm, which had now fallen off, "and another killing strike. Altogether, those were kill shots."

He then carefully removed the leather lamellar, "Your first strike with the pick end broke a rib, a debilitating injury that will slow an enemy down, but not kill. Your second strike however is a completely different story, puncturing the heart, which is an instant kill. Your last strike destroyed the man's sternum, another instant kill."

_Both special weapons have shown their capabilities of dishing out brutal trauma under different means, but where do our panelists stand?_

"I'm going with the dolabra on this one," Geoff started out, "You have more options and one hit kills with each of those options."

"I disagree, I'm going with the mace on this one," Dr. Dorian countered, "Aside from the bow, it's been one of the few weapons that has been effective at penetrating the Centurion's armor, succeeding where their bladed weapons have failed. That weapon is a miniaturized weapon of mass destruction and scares me to watch it because you could bring an entire house down with that thing!"

Once again, things fell down to Mack.

"We have to keep in mind the dolabra was an improvised weapon, whereas the mace was intended for warfare. It did far more damage than I expected, so I'm going with the mace on this one," Mack finished.

_In special weapons, the Mongol's iron flanged mace takes the edge._

_Coming up, Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_And now the time has come for Mack to gauge the x-factors of each warrior._

"For training, this was a very close call with the Centurion belonging to the toughest, most professional army of his day, and for the Mongol coming from a society which intensely valued horsemanship. We gave the Centurion a 98 to the Mongol's 97 due to everything he learned from what at the time was the most professional army in the world."

"For ferocity, the Mongol receives a 95 to the Centurion's 88 due to all their traveling and the things they were forced to do in order to ensure their survival during these long travels, which would have made them damn scrappy."

"For endurance, again the Mongol takes this with a 94 to the Centurion's 92 because of the vast, inhospitable area which they came from and were forced to endure what they had to."

"For logistics, the Centurion came from the world's first professional army and had the best training and equipment at his disposal, whereas the Mongol was forced to forage from his defeated enemies. The Centurion takes this with a 95 to the Mongol's 85."

"For physicality, it was very close to the Centurion's professional training and the Mongol's nomadic lifestyle, so we gave it to the Centurion with a 93 to the Mongol's 90."

"Lastly, there's killer instinct. The Mongols were practically born killers, whereas the Centurion could become one. The Mongol gets a 96 to the Centurion's 94."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win a battle between two very different styles? The precision and coordination of the professionally trained Roman Centurion, or the rampage assault of the Mongol?_

"In the end, there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

A lone Mongol raider strode along a winding trail on horseback, ordering his steed to a halt when he spotted pillars of smoke coming from over a nearby hill. He cautiously observed the spectacle and listened for any signs of activity before willing his horse forward.

Ascending the hill he would soon find himself happening across a small village that has recently been sacked, buildings still smoldering, blood staining the streets and on a nearby hill, several villagers crucified. A strange red and gold banner was planted into the ground at the village's entrance, one the raider had never seen before. Whoever it belonged to, they were trespassing on his turf and needed to be dealt with.

The grinding of metal on metal suddenly filtered into his ears and the lone raider went to investigate.

A Roman Centurion sat nearby, sharpening his gladius on a whetstone. He had just led a successful assault on a small village that would not bow down to his mighty empire, so he ordered his troops to make an example out of them, resulting in a bloody skirmish where they massacred everybody to the last man.

There was no time to celebrate. They had to keep moving and he was preparing for the battles to come as he ordered his men to scout the surrounding areas, while he would stay behind to formulate new plans.

The galloping of hooves caught the grizzled commander's attention and he sheathed his gladius. Thinking his men were returning, he rose to his feet to receive them, only to find himself back on the defensive as a stranger arrived.

The Mongol happened across the only other inhabitant, a strangely-dressed man who had a sword at his side. Noting his weapon, the raider readied his composite bow.

The mysterious man answered him with a scowling sneer before drawing his sword and shouting, "Præparate cadere sicut alii!"

The Mongol couldn't understand him, but knew the man was offering a challenge and he raised his bow to fire the arrow he had loaded.

Seeing his challenger raise his bow to fire, the Centurion instinctively dodged to his right, just in time for the arrow to sail past him and embed itself into a nearby wall. The Roman warrior grabbed his scutum and raised it just in time to block another arrow fired in his direction. Reaching into the quiver strapped around his shoulder, he pulled out a plumbata and chucked it at the horseman, but the arrow sailed past the smaller man's head.

Reaching into his quiver, the Mongol pulled out another arrow and loaded it into his bow, forced to duck as another weighted dart was flung at him. The distraction threw his aim off and his arrow found its way into another stone wall, just as another plumbata was thrown into the air and this time found its way into him. Fortunately, his lamellar breastplate catches the dart and he is left unharmed. Enraged, he unsheathes his piandao and orders his horse to charge.

The Centurion readies himself as the horseman suddenly mounts a charge, raising his scutum just in time to block the attempted slash from the man's sword. Reaching for a pilum, he waits as the man brings his horse to a halt and launches his javelin into the air. In an amazing show of grace and accuracy, the man manages to bring his sword up just in time to slash the projectile in half while it remains airborne. Undeterred, the Roman warrior reached for another pilum and waited for his enemy to make the charge.

He waited patiently as the Mongolian warrior raised his sword high above his head, but then just as he was within range, the Centurion ducked low and stabbed his pilum into the horse's side, spooking the animal and causing it to buck violently, sending his challenger tumbling to the ground.

The Mongol grunted as he hit the ground hard, fresh waves of pain shooting through his body as his sword leapt from his hand. He looked over to see his horse lying on its side, dying from its wound, and the armored warrior standing tall over him with his same bloodied spear, ready to drive it through his chest.

Rolling out of the way just in time, the Centurion's pilum jabbed into the dirt and the Mongolian raider looked near his fallen steed to find his glaive lying nearby and reached down for it, just in time to avoid another thrust from his opponent. Raising the polearm weapon high he went for a slash, only to catch his opponent's shield and find his weapon stuck. With a hard forward push, the Roman warrior again knocked his adversary from his feet and pulled the glaive out, stomping on it and breaking it in half.

Forcing himself back to his feet, the Mongol managed to recover both his piandao and his leather shield, mounting another forward charge. With a backhanded swipe he managed to knock the pilum from his adversary's hand and went for another wide slash, only to again find his blow deflected and find himself pushed backward as their shields locked.

The Centurion drew his gladius and went to slash into his opponent's arm, only to catch the rim of the leather shield and find his sword stuck. He would find himself knocked backward as the Mongol pushed back and went for a slash, catching him in the stomach and denting his lorica segmentata, winding him, but not hurting him. Finding himself unarmed, save for his scutum, the killer commander needed to think fast and looked over to find his dolabra lying nearby. Avoiding another slash from the Mongol's piandao, he charged towards the pickaxe and quickly scooped it up.

Armed again, the Centurion charges at his opponent and swings the dolabra downward, catching the Mongol's shield and taking another slash to the stomach, but again his steel armor protects him and he kicks his opponent backwards, freeing his pickaxe and turning it over to its pick end, going for a swing and catching the smaller man in his side.

The Mongol cries out in pain and ducks in desperation to avoid another slash from the dolabra's axe end, shooting his sword outward and managing to slash the Centurion across his forearm.

The Roman warrior grunts loudly in pain, but will not allow himself to slow down and goes for another strike with his dolabra, but the Mongol ducks and he finds his pickaxe becoming stuck in a wooden post, the Mongolian raider bringing his sword down and slashing the weapon in half, rendering it useless.

The Centurion brought the handle up and delivered a backhanded blow to his challenger, knocking the smaller man backwards and giving him time to unsheathe his gladius. By now, the Mongol had regained his footing as the Roman warrior made his charge, raising his piandao just in time to catch the man's sword.

What followed was a back and forth struggle as both men's swords clashed against one another, the Mongolian raider again managing to get another strike in on his opponent, which was once again absorbed by his opponent's segmentata armor. Eventually both warriors would lock weapons and find themselves in a test of strength.

After a back and forth struggle, the Centurion would get the upper hand, bringing his blade up and slashing his opponent across the face before again slashing him across his chest, his blow again absorbed by the Mongol's breastplate.

The Mongol was knocked backward by the force of the blow and eventually stumbled over the corpse of his fallen horse, finding the iron flanged mace he had been carrying with him beforehand. With no other options, he grasped the iron weapon and swung it outward, slamming it into the Centurion's knee.

The Roman warrior screamed in pain as his kneecap was obliterated; his screams silenced a second later as the Mongol again slammed the mace into him, connecting with his side and shattering his ribs, causing him to cough up blood.

With his opponent injured, the Mongolian raider wasted no time in ending the fight, bringing his mace down on top of the commander's head, denting his galea and crushing his skull, blood running from the man's ears, eyes and mouth.

His enemy defeated, the Mongol grabbed his piandao and sliced the Roman warrior's head off, raising both into the air with a triumphant victory cry.

XXXXX

Winner: Mongol

Piandao: 103

Glaive: 116

Mongol Composite Bow: 285

Iron Flanged Mace: 111

Total: 615

Roman Centurion

Gladius: 223

Pilum: 44

Plumbata: 4

Dolabra: 114

Total: 385

_In a battle of two brutal conquerors, the Mongol triumphed in a relatively lopsided victory with all 4 of his weapons scoring kills in the triple digits range, his superior marksmanship being the deciding factor. The Centurion's gladius proved to be his deadliest weapon, outscoring 3 of the Mongol's weapons in number of kills achieved._

"Despite being the more professionally trained of the two, the Centurion was intended to fight with his men, not in single combat, whereas the Mongol was more capable of fighting by himself or as part of a larger group," Mack explained.

"I'm not surprised by the outcome given the Mongol's legendary marksmanship. As good as he was, he was able to take down the Centurion a hundred times over by the time the Centurion could get within range," Dr. Dorian explained, "To me, this fight was a testament of why the Mongols were able to conquer most of the world."

(The Mongol stumbles along the trail back towards his camp with his weapons holstered and the Centurion's severed head dangling from his belt. Also claimed as a trophy, the Centurion's gladius, something he will hang with pride in his home.)

XXXXX

_Next time on 'Deadliest Warrior' it's a battle of the fierce tribal warriors:_

Maori Warrior: The vicious slayer of the South Seas who cannibalized his victims to gain their powers…

Vs.

Zande Warrior: The Central African savage who utilized psychological warfare and brute force to instill fear into the hearts of their enemies.

_Who will be…The Deadliest Warrior?!_

XXXXX

Author's Note: What the Centurion said to the Mongol is Latin for "Prepare to fall like the others!"

Well I think that's it for the special ending notes so as always, read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	6. Maori vs Zande Warrior

Maori Warrior: The brute force cannibal warrior of New Zealand…

(A Maori slashes into an enemy with his mere and then bites a chunk out of his neck.)

Vs.

Zande Warrior: The fierce tribal killers that disrupted the old slave trade and spread their empire throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan

(A group of Zande warriors ambush slave traders out in the open.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Maori Warrior:

Circa: 1785

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Armor: None

Zande Warrior:

Circa: 1820

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 170 lbs.

Armor:

Kube Shield

"This is going to be a battle between two fierce tribal warriors, one of whom sharpened their teeth to make their enemies believe they were cannibals, the other an actual cannibal who feasted on his defeated enemies," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "Both these peoples still exist today and it was only through their combative expertise this was possible."

"I'm betting on the Maori to take this one," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin started, "Given their ferocity as deadly close range fighters and ingenious earthen-based weaponry, they were truly a force to be reckoned with. The tattoos covering their face and their reputation as cannibals help things too."

"I'm going with the Zande," Dr. Armand Dorian countered, "Their Iron Age weapons and psychological warfare allowed them to conquer large areas of land using small, disorganized skirmishes. Whatever the case, he'd make the Maori work for his dinner.

_The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, believed to have settled there around 1280 A.D. Living in relative isolation from the rest of the world, war was common amongst the tribes, often fought over land and to gain or restore 'mana.'_

"The Maori people believed combat was sacred to their ancestors and they fought for the sake of acquiring 'mana,' which to them was spiritual power and prestige," Mack explained.

_To gain 'mana,' the Maori cannibalized their defeated foes, believing their warrior essence would boost their power._

"Unlike most native cultures, the Maori were never conquered," Mack finished.

_The brutal cannibal warrior brings a deadly assortment of weaponry to prepare their enemy for the final course:_

Short Range: Mere

Mid-Range: Taiaha

Long Range: Hoeroa

Special Weapon: Leiomano

_Today the Maori battles an equally fearsome challenger with a reputation preceding them._

_ Hailing from Central Africa, they derive their name from the word 'Azande,' which literally means 'the people who possess much land.'_

"They produced fearsome warriors noted for their agility and their iron weapons, but overall they utilized psychological warfare to its greatest extent," Mack explained.

_For psychological warfare, Zande warriors sharpened their teeth to give off the appearance of being cannibals to their enemy, often shouting 'niam-niam' which translates to 'great eaters' to back up their supposed cannibalistic propensities._

"It was crude and unorthodox, but it allowed them to get the job done and they are going to use it to their greatest extent against this new challenge," Mack finished.

_The Zande brings a plethora of simple, yet lethal weapons intended for a skirmish:_

Short Range: Makraka

Mid-Range: Makrigga

Long Range: Kpinga

Special Weapon: Shotel

_Both warriors will start out with their short range weapons. Going up first will be the Zande with the makraka._

"The makraka is a sickle-shaped knife that was often used for executions;" weapons maker Dave Baker explained, "The blade widens near the tip and has its cutting edge on the concave side of the blade. It was two feet long and weighed in at 2.5 pounds."

"We've set up a mock ceremonial execution to test the capabilities of the makraka," Geoff explained, motioning towards a spot where a ballistic gel bust had been set up with a rope tied around its neck. "It was a popular method where the Zandes would tie the necks of their prisoners to tree branches so that their severed heads would hang afterwards as a warning to all who may cross them. Hank, would you do the honors?"

Hank nodded and got into position.

"When you are ready, on 3…2…1!" the biomedical scientist shouted.

With a hard two-handed swing, the makraka cut effortlessly through the bust's neck, decapitating it smoothly and sending the head flying into the air while a geyser of blood gushed up out of the neck.

"Wow, that was much smoother than I had anticipated," Dr. Dorian said in awe, watching until the stage blood ran out, "Without question, this is a kill."

"I'll give it to you, it's very straight and to the point, but mine is more impressive," Jerry said from the sidelines.

_The Maori answers the challenge with a brutal multi-purpose club._

"The mere was a flat club shaped like an enlarged tear drop. They served as a symbol of chieftainship and were passed down as valuable heirlooms, said to possess a mana of their own," Dave introduced, "It was made from nephrite jade and had sharpened edges, meaning it could bludgeon, slice and stab. It was typically a foot long and weighed two pounds."

"Looks more like a living room decoration than a weapon," Hank commented.

"This weapon was more devastating than it looks," Jerry started, "It is known that this type of material is stronger than steel."

"And we've set up a test to prove that," Geoff said motioning to a pedestal, where four bricks had been set up. "We have four bricks here set up. First you are going to show us the effect of a steel knife."

Jerry nodded and pulled out a combat knife he kept in a holster and got into a combative stance. Taking a few deep breaths, he swung the knife at the brick, managing to shatter only one.

"Given the thickness of these bricks, I'm surprised you managed to do anything at all," Mack said examining the damage done to the first brick, while the others remained relatively unscathed.

"Now the real fun begins," Jerry said drawing his mere as a new row of bricks was set up and he got into position, taking a few practice swipes. Taking another deep breath, he drew his arm back and delivered a powerful swipe that smashed through three of the four bricks.

"Wow, that is very impressive. Think of what that would do to human bones," Geoff gasped.

"It was also known that the mere was a ceremonial weapon used in executions. We've set up another test for your weapon against a bull skull, which is twice as thick as a human skull. After what I've seen on this first test, I'm feeling confident for you," Mack said to Jerry.

"I aim to please," the weapons expert nodded before making his way over to the bull skull.

"On 3…2…1, smash it!" Geoff shouted.

With one mighty downward axe-like swing, Jerry brought the mere down and effortlessly annihilated the skull's frontal portion.

"You turned the entire from end of this skull to dust," Dr. Dorian said picking it up to examine, "This is analogous to a mid-face fracture. This would be lights out for good."

_Both weapons have demonstrated their ability to kill in one strike, but where do our experts stand?_

"The makraka cuts smoothly, but it lacks the diversity of the mere, a weapon you can stab, hack and bludgeon with, edge mere," Geoff started.

"Watching a jade instrument obliterate those bricks did it for me, edge mere," Dr. Dorian followed.

"The fact that jade can be shown to be tougher than a metal stands out for me, edge mere," Mack finished.

_In short range weapons, the Maori takes the edge with the mere._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out two mid-range killers when a barbed spear goes up against a staff carrying the spirit of its holder's ancestors._

XXXXX

_ Now it is time for both warriors to break out their mid-ranged arsenal and up first will be the Zande with the makrigga._

"The makrigga was seven feet, three and a half pounds of nastiness," Dave explained, "The numerous iron barbs could pierce a man's abdomen and rip his intestines out in the following retraction."

Hank had his makrigga in hand and was taking a few practice thrusts before making his way over to a ballistic gel torso, its face painted up to resemble the traditional tattoos of a Maori warrior.

"Hank, when you are ready, show us what that nasty 'friend' of yours can do," Geoff ordered setting up his high speed camera.

"You got it," the weapons expert said getting into position. With a mighty war cry, he thrust the barbed spear into the torso's stomach with a wet _'thuk'_ and an even sicker tearing that followed, chunks of artificial intestines following. He then shoves the spear a little higher into its chest, tearing out chunks of the fake heart inside. Lastly, he thrusts into the torso's throat, bending its head in all sorts of awkward positions before finally extracting the bloodied makrigga.

"Man, that was just f-cking brutal," Mack said with a wince of anguish.

Dr. Dorian went to inspect the carnage and found his gloves saturated, "Man, this first thrust alone ripped out a chunk of this guy's large intestine, then you tore apart the guy's ribcage and obliterated his heart, and then lastly you tore his larynx to shreds. Those are all kills."

"It might be deadly, but that's another very one-dimensional toy you've got there," Jerry spoke from the sidelines, "With my mid-range weapon, you can stab and bludgeon."

_The Maori responds with the taiaha._

"The taiaha was a favored weapon of the Maoris, believing it carried the spirit of their ancestors," Dave explained, "At one end you've got a flattened, thick hardwood end used for bludgeoning and parrying, while the other end was a carved piece of jade used for stabbing. The whole weapon was five feet long and weighed slightly over a pound in weight."

"We've set up another target here for you Jerry," Geoff said motioning to another torso, where Dr. Dorian was in the process of setting up a pressure sensor on its skull, "We want you to stab it first and then show a couple of strikes with its blunted end. You think you can do that for us?"

"Of course," Jerry smirked getting into position.

"On 3…2…1! Unleash hell-f-cking-fire!" Geoff called out.

Letting out another battle cry, Jerry drives the bladed end straight into the target's chest, the blade going all the way through and protruding out its back. He then pulls the blade out and jams it through the torso's throat, again the jade blade sticks all the way through. Swinging the staff around to its tapered edge, he slams it hard into the side of the torso's already ravaged neck and then slams it down right on top of the skull with a sickening crunch.

"Your first two strikes when right into the heart and the throat respectively, both are instant kills," Dr. Dorian explained as he went to examine the damage caused by the tapered end, "Your first shot obliterated the vertebrae in this man's neck and your second strike caused the man's head to go down onto his neck and crushed his skull like an egg. Altogether you had 4 shots and 4 instant kills."

"And your last shot generated over 200 psi of force, almost like a miniature wrecking ball you're bringing down on that guy's head," Geoff added.

_Both mid-range weapons have displayed their lethal capabilities, but where does our panel stand?_

"Taiaha all the way," Geoff started, "It is easier to pull out and you have more options."

"The makrigga is definitely a nasty weapon to encounter on the battlefield, but it's very one-dimensional, whereas the taiaha gives you options, edge taiaha," Dr. Dorian added.

"I'm in full agreement, edge taiaha," Mack ended.

_In mid-range weapons, the Maori takes the edge with his taiaha._

_Coming up, a multi-bladed throwing knife goes up against a multi-purpose long club made from whalebone._

XXXXX

_Now is the time for both sides to show off their long range capabilities. The Zande will go first with his kpinga throwing knife._

"The kpinga was a multi-bladed throwing knife that could very well be considered the 'cousin' of the shuriken," Dave started out, "It was 21 inches and 3.5 pounds of pure iron mayhem, with three projecting blades and a masculine sign on the other end that increased its killing ability. It could be thrown overhead or sideways to take out your opponent's legs, even its handle could damage if it connected."

"We've set up an entire army of charging Maoris for you to test the accuracy of this weapon," Geoff said, motioning towards a cluster of foam targets, "First you will display its angular velocity with vertical throws and then we want you to show us what it can do with horizontal throws," he said motioning towards some pork leg stand-ins, "Now it's time for you to do the honors."

Hank nodded and got into position, equipped with five kpingas for the vertical test.

"Whenever you are ready, on 3…2…1! Let 'em loose!" Geoff shouted.

Hank took his first kpinga and chucked it at the cluster, striking one of the closest targets in the gut with the handle. Wasting no time he grabbed the second kpinga and chucked it towards one on the far left, striking it in its shoulder. He grabbed the third kpinga and chucked it as hard as he could, the phallic end finding its way into the forehead of another foam target. Grabbing the fourth kpinga, he tosses it and the longest prong finds its way into one of the charging warriors' chest that left one throwing knife behind and he tossed it to strike another target in the middle of its face.

Having completed the vertical throwing test, it was now time to show off the horizontal throws and Hank quickly made his way over to the table where three more kpingas rested, picking up one and tossing it sideways at his pork targets, one of the barbs tearing into the closest and becoming stuck, a torrent of blood gushing from the gash. He grabbed a second kpinga and chucked it towards another pork target, his knife flying past it, but managing to leave a deep tear before it embedded itself in the wooden barrier behind it. Grabbing his last kpinga, he chucked it hard and it connected with another wet slash, leaving a deep tear that left a chunk suspended by a thread.

"Wow, this is unbelievable. I seriously had no idea that weapon would be this accurate," Geoff said carefully observing the damage.

Dr. Dorian then stepped up and began surveying where the kpingas struck, "Your first target got it right in the gut, nailing the small intestine, which will cause your victim to bleed out. Moving the second target, you managed to strike its brachial artery, another bleed out. Your third target has the phallic end in its forehead, that's a punctured brain right there-"

"He literally has dick on the brain," Jerry snickered from the sidelines.

Dr. Dorian continued where he left off, "-your fourth target's heart was punctured, instant kill, and the last target was struck right in the middle of its face, in a position where his brain stem could be severed. Altogether, we have five hits, five kills."

The good doctor then made his way over to the pork leg stand-ins and pulled the kpinga out, "You've managed to completely sever the femoral artery; this man is going to bleed out within seconds, kill. The second kpinga left another deep slash, although it probably won't kill, it will be a debilitating injury. Your last kpinga is going to leave another deep tear that will rip apart this man's tendons and cut through various arteries. It wouldn't have this kind of effect on an actual human opponent, but it will still kill the guy nonetheless. We've got three shots and two kills."

Hank looked over to Jerry expecting some kind of smartass remark, but the Maori weapons specialist remained silent and went for his next weapon.

_The Maori responds with the hoeroa._

"The hoeroa is a largely enigmatic weapon made from the lower jaw of a sperm whale. It was held by a 'rangatira,' and symbolized authority and much like the mere, was believed to contain its own 'mana'," Dave started, "It was usually between 4 and 5 feet in length and could be used for striking, stabbing, and in today's case, a missile weapon."

Jerry had a hoeroa in hand as a ballistic gel torso was set up, guarded by a wicker kube shield the Zande warriors carried.

"High speed is up, Jerry whenever you are ready!" Geoff called out.

Jerry nodded and raised his hoeroa in much the same manner a user would raise a javelin, and with a mighty heave tossed it towards the target, only to miss it by a sizeable margin.

"Heh, now I know why you kept your mouth shut, you you're your weapon can't do sh-t," Hank chuckled.

Jerry ignored the comment and resumed his practice. He still had three more hoeroas to show off and reached for the next, tossing it and sending it cutting through the wicker shield. With the shield damaged, he grabbed for the third hoeroa and chucked it head on, a wet slash as it made contact with the gel torso. He was down to one final projectile and tossed it in the same fashion, barely grazing the side of the torso's head.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to give his assessment, "Your first shot completely missed, which is never a good thing when you've got a savage charging towards you. The second shot pierced the wicker shield, showing that it can penetrate, but it was in a spot where you won't do any damage. Your third hoeroa managed to pierce the man's lung; he will be dead within seconds. The last shot barely connected and delivered a blow that may only knock a man unconscious. Out of four shots, we have only one surefire kill."

_Both sides have shown off their long range weaponry, but where do our experts stand?_

"This is definitely a no brainer for me, it's all about the kpinga," Geoff started, "It has multiple blades and with it, more killing potential."

"I agree with you," Mack followed, "For such an 'enigmatic' weapon, it proves to be very anti-climactic when used for ranged purposes and in my honest opinion, is best kept for melee combat, edge kpinga."

"The vote is unanimous, edge kpinga," Dr. Dorian finished.

_In long range weapons, the Zande takes the edge with his kpinga._

_Coming up, both sides will test out their special weapons and then we resurrect two fearsome warriors in a duel to the death to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_And now the time has come for both sides to break out their special weapons._

_Up first will be the Zande with the shotel._

"The shotel is a curved sword originating in Abyssinia, closely resembling the near eastern scimitar," Dave explained, "The semicircular blade had a length of 40 inches and could be used to reach around an opponent's shield and stab them in vital areas, such as their kidneys or lungs, and could also rip mounted enemies from their horses."

A ballistic gel torso had been set up as Hank practiced with his shotel.

"Alright Hank, show us both the shotel's slashing and stabbing capabilities," Geoff ordered setting up his high speed camera.

"Got it," Hank replied.

"On 3…2…1, hack 'em up!"

Hank launched himself towards his target and brought the blade down into its collarbone, cutting half a foot down into its body. He pulled the blade out and brought it down onto the crown of its skull before ripping it out again and swinging it lower, the blade catching into the torso's kidney and he ripped the blade out with a hard tug that tore most of its flesh away.

"With your first slice, you managed to cut straight through this man's collarbone and sever his aortic knob, that will kill him in roughly 30 seconds," Dr. Dorian reported before going to examine the torso's skull, "Your second strike went right through the man's skull and chopped his brain in half vertically, instant kill. Lastly, your last blow tore apart this man's kidney; it will be a very painful delayed kill. We've got three strikes and three kills."

"Superior metallurgy will do that," Hank confidently chimed looking over to Jerry, "Wonder what inferior materials you have for your next weapon."

"The materials Maori used may not have been as durable, but they were just as resourceful and could come up with some serious surprises for their foes," Jerry replied.

_The Maori answers the challenge with the leiomano._

"The leiomano, also known as the 'shark tooth club,' was a weapon used by various Polynesian tribes. It had a head shaped like a spade with a shark's teeth inset around its edges, the most common donor being a tiger shark," Dave explained, "It was 20 inches long and weighed 2 pounds, used primarily for slicing and ripping, and could even club an opponent when necessary."

"We suspended a pig carcass from the ceiling to test the club's capabilities," Geoff explained motioning towards the pig, "You're so confident in this club's abilities, we are going to give you one slash to prove what this baby can do."

"One slash is all I need," Jerry confidently smirked, "No need for another fancy production," he said towards Hank, who only shrugged in reply.

"On the count of 3, 3…2…1, slice it!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry executed a downward slash right into the belly of the pig, spilling blood and guts all over the floor below.

"A shark bite would not compare to this," Dr. Dorian said examining the jagged wound, "In one slice alone you've managed to cut through the wall of the intestine, but not the intestine itself and everything spilled out in one fell swipe, he's dead within seconds."

"One shot, one kill," Jerry smiled.

"But look at how many teeth broke off in that one slash alone," Hank said pointing towards the wound as Dr. Dorian carefully picked shark teeth out of the crevice, "That's not very reliable if you ask me."

"This weapon was designed to keep cutting even when some of its teeth break off inside its target, and if that doesn't help, it can still be used to bludgeon and enemy," Jerry said before delivering a swift backhanded strike to the pig's face, hard enough to break several vital bones.

_Both weapons have done their job, but where does our panel stand on the end result?_

"For me it's the shotel all the way," Geoff started, "It's got the superior material and is capable of delivering the swifter, cleaner kills, plus it can reach around an enemy's armor."

"I have to disagree and go with the leiomano on this one," Dr. Dorian countered, "It might not be as great a reach as the shotel and might make some feel uneasy when they think of the teeth breaking off, but it has shown that it can still be used effectively even when some of the teeth are broken off. Not only that, the pieces of shark teeth working into a muscle will make the pain so unbearable you wouldn't be able to use that limb, edge leiomano."

Another tiebreaker would fall down to Mack.

"I'm going with the shotel on this one," Mack finished, "Out of all the Zande's relatively one-dimensional weapons, this stands out from them all in the sense that it can stab, slash and hook an enemy, with superior material and superior speed, edge shotel."

_In special weapons, the Zande takes the edge._

_Coming up, our panelists will gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we will have a battle between two savage warriors who never met on the battlefield to determine once and for all who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"First and foremost, when I think of both these warriors, I think of their means of intimidation. The Zande filed their teeth as a means of psychological warfare because they wanted their enemies to believe they were cannibals, whereas the Maori were the real deal, plus you can't forget the tattoos covering their faces and the haka they do before battle. We gave the Maori a 91 to the Zande's 84."

"For killer instinct, both warriors are trained from a young age how to kill, but the Maori literally believes he is fighting for his ancestors and to acquire the 'mana' necessary to make him a stronger warrior. The Maori takes a 95 to the Zande's 90."

"For training, the Zande may have been used to mostly fighting as part of small, disorganized skirmishes, but still he was better trained in more aspects of battle than the Maori, so we gave him an 89 to the Maori's 79."

"For physicality, the Maori is a big, strong person used to fighting without body armor, so he gets a 92 to the Zande's 86."

"For endurance, the Zande is used to carrying out hit and run attacks in arid climates, so he gets a 91 to the Maori's 87."

"Lastly, we look at ferocity. Given the Maori's consumption of human flesh like it was candy and his brutal, bone crushing style of warfare, he gets a 93 to the Zande's 87."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will prevail in a battle between two fierce tribal warriors?_

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

Along the coast of an island in the South Pacific, a lone Zande warrior patrolled. Although it was his duty to scout the land so his tribe could expand their influence, he couldn't help but be entranced by the placid beauty the land had to offer.

The lone warrior was suddenly distracted as he overheard the slapping of flesh and incomprehensible gibberish.

He turned to find a heavily-tattooed man standing before him, a Maori warrior in the midst of performing his 'Ka Mate' haka, then sticking his tongue out at him as his way of telling he intends to eat him.

The Zande warrior is not intimidated and begins chanting 'Niam-Niam' at his new challenger and thrusts his makrigga into the air threateningly. When there is no sign the man will be backing down he knows the fight is on and makes his charge.

The Maori anticipated the advance and raised his hoeroa into the air, launching it towards his opponent like a javelin, but it sails harmlessly past the man's head. The Zande quickly reached for a kpinga and chucked it sideways at the Pacific Islander, hoping to take out the man's legs. Instead, the throwing knife went a little higher and managed to cut into the man's side, but not deep enough to damage any of his internal organs. There was no time for him to let the pain register as the African warrior charged head on at him with his harpoon at the ready.

With a lion-like roar, the Zande attempted to shoot his makrigga outward into the wounded man's gut, but the Maori quickly raised his taiaha to intercept the blow, knocking it off course and leaving him wide open to attack. Taking advantage, the tattooed tribal warrior shot the staff's blunt end into his African challenger's side, managing to crack two of his ribs.

The Maori flips his taiaha over to his bladed end and goes for a thrust, but the Zande brings his shield up to absorb the blow. Unfortunately for the African warrior, the shield's wicker surface is easily penetrated by the sharpened jade and he is forced to discard it. He attempts another thrust with his makrigga, but his opponent brings his staff up to parry the blow and forces him backward, attempting to go for an overhead strike with the taiaha's blunt end, but he brings up his harpoon to intercept the blow, splitting it in half.

Out of desperation, the Zande smacks the Maori with the broken handle, stunning him long enough so he can make his escape.

The enraged Maori howled in anger and gave chase, chasing after his opponent as the mysterious man leapt over a fallen tree and made his way towards an inlet.

The Zande warrior made his way over to a nearby rock, where he had concealed both his makraka and shotel, quickly scooping up both weapons as the Maori drew nearer and again raised the taiaha high above his head, only to be caught by surprise as the African warrior swung his curved sword and split his staff in half before following up with a swipe from his makraka, managing to slice into the South Pacific warrior's arm.

The Maori stifled a grunt of pain and withdrew both his mere and leiomano, going into his fighting stance as he stood across from the Zande, who stood similarly with both weapons in hand. The two men circled each other, both hollering their respective threats.

It would be the Zande who was first to act, directing a slash at the Maori's throat, yet the warrior dodged the swipe and attempted a backhanded blow with his shark tooth club, the African warrior barely evading it. Both men circled each other trading strike after strike, yet somehow his opponent was always able to avoid or block every attempt.

After a tense back and forth struggle, it would be the Maori who would finally find a hole in his opponent's defense, slicing deep into his arm with the shark tooth club, breaking off some of its teeth. The Zande cried out in a mix of anger and pain and went to raise his makraka, only for his muscles to give out as the broken off shark's teeth dug in deeper and he dropped it to the sand, leaving him with one good arm. He remained determined to carry on the fight and brandished his shotel menacingly towards his opponent.

Again the Maori would stick his tongue out threateningly towards his wounded challenger, emboldened by the power of his ancestors coursing through his veins, a glorious kill upon him. He went to finish the fight, when he was suddenly caught off guard by the African man dropping a shoulder and charging him.

The Zande warrior tackled his opponent to the ground and began punching away at his tattooed face mercilessly, eventually grabbing both sides of his head in an attempt to snap his neck.

He was so caught up in the heat of the moment; he didn't realize one of his thumbs had found its way into the Maori's mouth and the island warrior bit down into it, digging his teeth into it and shaking his head violently until there was a loud snap and the African warrior's thumb was separated from his hand.

With his opponent writhing in pain, the Maori spits the bloody digit out of his mouth and reaches for his leiomano, burying it into the Zande's gut before he can react and sawing into his stomach, listening to the man's screams of pain before finally bringing his mere down and pulverizing the man's skull.

Having won the battle, the Maori shot his fists into the air with a roar of victory.

XXXXX

Winner: Maori

Maori:

Mere: 91

Taiaha: 289

Hoeroa: 15

Leiomano: 120

Total: 515

Zande Warrior:

Makraka: 78

Makrigga: 151

Kpinga: 127

Shotel: 129

Total: 485

_In a battle of fierce savages, the Maori pulled off a surprising victory in spite of possessing earthen-based weaponry as opposed to the Zande's steel weaponry._

"This was another very close matchup, but the Maori managed to pull off the victory due to his experience in up close and mid-ranged combat. Plus, he had more options with his weapons, whereas in spite of possessing the superior material, most of the Zande's were still very one-dimensional," Geoff explained.

(The Maori drags the corpse of his defeated enemy back to his camp, ready to make him into a fine stew. At his side is the shotel, a trophy of his triumph over a powerful new adversary.)

XXXXX

_Next time on 'Deadliest Warrior,' it's a battle of two early modern warriors that are the subject of inspiration for numerous tall tales._

Pirate: The merciless marauder of the high seas who founded the 'Golden Age of Piracy…'

Vs.

Cowboy: The sharpshooting outlaw who put the 'wild' into the Wild West.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

XXXXX

Author's Note: It was a nightmare trying to dig up info on the hoeroa, so I'm hopeful its portrayal was accurate as it was intended to be used as both a missile-type weapon, as well as up close striking and a stabbing spear.

I believe that's all I have to say so until next time, this is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	7. Pirate vs Cowboy

Author's Note: As it was on the show, the pirate profiled on here will be an 18th-century English pirate and the cowboy is supposed to be patterned after Jesse James. I initially wanted to do a "Battle of the Outlaws" segment where Jesse James would take on Blackbeard the Pirate, but I figured this would be close enough since I knew I wanted to include the pirate either way. Anyways, enjoy!

XXXXX

Pirate: The fierce plunderer of the high seas who would stop at nothing for their ill-gotten gains…

(A band of pirates storm a merchant vessel with flintlocks and blunderbusses blazing.)

Vs.

Cowboy: The legendary outlaw who shot his way into fame with unmatched marksmanship.

(A group of cowboys are seen exiting a bank only to be confronted by a band of lawmen, quickly descending into a shootout.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Pirate:

Circa: 1715

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 170 lbs.

Armor: None

Cowboy:

Circa: 1881

Height: 6'

Weight: 175 lbs.

Armor: None

"This is a battle I am very excited for. For the first time on 'Deadliest Warrior,' we will be profiling two gunpowder-based warriors and with it, we will be featuring our very first squad-based battle," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "Both these warriors carried out exploits that have made them the subject of countless books, movies, video games, and other artistic mediums. I can't wait to see how this turns out."

"I'm going with the cowboy on this one," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin started, "I simply cannot overlook his technical advantage. He comes from a time where he had access to repeating firearms that were far more accurate than the pirate's primitive black powder weapons. I think the pirate will be taking a one way trip to Boot Hill."

"I'm betting on the pirate for this one," trauma doctor Armand Dorian countered, "Even though he might not have the technological superiority of the cowboy, he still fought with an unmatched ferocity that struck fear into the hearts of his enemies, so fearsome all he had to do was raise the Jolly Roger and most would surrender right away. I think those western dime novels are all hype, he'll have the cowboy walking the plank in no time."

_Following the War of the Spanish Succession, the 'Golden Age of Piracy' came about when thousands of sailors were left unemployed and turned to piracy off the coast of the European colonies as a means of getting rich._

"Get in, get out. Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast, take what you want and leave is a philosophy which the pirate lived by," Mack explained.

_Eventually the pirates would be stopped by an anti-piracy crackdown from the European navies, yet the pirate was around long enough to leave an indelible impression upon early modern warfare and later pop culture, their exploits becoming the subject of countless books and movies._

"The pirate _had_ to be vicious because he knew if he was taken alive there would be no mercy shown to him and I believe that will make him a credible challenger to his new opponent," Mack finished.

_The pirate brings with him a deadly cache used for overrunning the vessels which crossed his path:_

Short Range: Cutlass

Mid-Range: Blunderbuss

Long Range: Flintlock Pistol

Special Weapon: Grenado

_Today the pirate will prepare himself for an opponent unlike any he has ever encountered._

_ Born from the harsh frontiers of the American Old West, the cowboy lived a life constantly on the move and constantly on guard against all sorts of threats, natural and human. Unfortunately, not many gunslingers were on the right side of the law, robbing banks and trains and murdering anyone who opposed them._

"Many of the early cowboys were veterans of the American Civil War who went west seeking work, some of whom would end up falling into 'seedier' ways of making money," Mack explained.

_Knowing how to use a gun was of crucial importance and it was through several famous gun battles the cowboy would gain his legendary reputation._

"The dime novels do not entirely over exaggerate their abilities, some shooters really were _that_ good. It leaves me to wonder if the pirate will even have the chance to see what's coming at him.

_The cowboy came equipped with an assortment of deadly accurate weapons to ensure his survival against both the harsh environment and those who dared challenge him:_

Short Range: Bowie Knife

Mid-Range: Colt Revolvers

Long Range: Winchester Rifle

Special Weapon: Hatchet

_Both teams will start out up close and personal with their equally deadly short range weapons. Going up first will be the pirate with his cutlass._

"The cutlass was a popular naval saber equipped with a basket-shaped guard," weapons maker Dave Baker explained, "In the hands of the pirate it doubled as both a weapon and a tool, able to cut through ropes, canvas and wood. It was three feet in length and three pounds in weight."

The team was in the middle of setting up a ballistic gel torso while Hank stood with his cutlass in hand. In fitting with the theme, the torso was wearing a cowboy hat.

"Alright Hank, we've set up a ballistic gel target for you to test your cutlass out on. Let's see what kind of damage that baby's capable of," Geoff said gesturing to the torso.

"Thought you'd never ask," the weapons expert said taking his position.

"On 3…2…1, hack 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

Hank launched himself towards the torso and slashed directly into its chest, leaving a deep gash that left the stage blood spilling out. He then drew backwards and drove the blade into its gut, spilling more blood before slicing into its left shoulder and nearly severing its arm before pulling the blade out and slicing into its right bicep, nearly severing the arm. For added effect, he went for one final slash to the torso's neck, nearly decapitating it.

Dr. Dorian approached the torso and started with the first slash, "You've cut deep into this man's pectoralis major muscle and he won't be able to use that arm afterward. You've also cut through the vessels and will make this man bleed out, kill. Your stab attack went through this man's guts and straight into his spinal cord, that's another kill. Your slice into this man's left shoulder will have gone deep enough to slice through all the arm's blood vessels and just barely misses the lung, he will bleed out quickly and this will be a kill. Your next slice destroyed this man's bicep and is nearly severing his arm, another kill. Your last attack nearly decapitated this man, no need for me to explain any further. Altogether you had five strikes and with it, five kills."

"An impressive showing," Geoff said before turning his attention over to Jerry, "And how do you plan to answer to this display?"

Jerry reached into his holster and pulled out a large knife, "With the bowie knife. It was popular with Confederate soldiers during and after the American Civil War, and later many cowboys. It was extremely versatile and in addition to being a weapon, could also be used as a utility tool. It has a clip point which allows for a quicker and deeper puncture upon insertion and allowed for more control when cutting. It's a fairly large knife at nine inches long and weighing over a pound and a half in weight and made from steel."

"Well, show us what you can do with it," Geoff said motioning towards a pig carcass being suspended.

"Gladly," Jerry nodded.

"On 3…2…1, serve it up!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry launched himself forward, driving his blade into the pig's gut and tearing it open with a jagged slash down the center of its belly, spilling its intestines onto the floor. He then stabbed it repeatedly in its sides before delivering a final slash to its throat. Just when it seemed he was done, he spun around and flung the knife right into the disemboweled carcass, catching it in the side of its face.

"In your first strike, you successfully disemboweled this pig," Dr. Dorian said noting the intestines spilled all over the floor below, "That is a kill." He then moved the body around to observe the other stabs, "With the series of stabs that followed, you managed to cut through this guy's ribs and in the process, you obliterated his kidneys, collapsed his lungs and turned his heart into Swiss cheese. Your slash to the throat went deep enough to sever jugular vein and carotid artery, an instant kill. That last throw of yours would go right through the face and sever the brain stem. Altogether, your strikes would be instant or delayed kills."

"Just vicious," Mack remarked in mock fear, "Talk about overkill."

"It might be overkill, but it still gets the job done," Jerry replied.

_Both weapons have shown their lethal effectiveness in close quarters combat, but where do our experts stand?_

"The bowie knife is definitely a dangerous weapon for close quarters combat and can be thrown, but I'm forced to side with the cutlass for its bigger size and cutting power, edge cutlass," Geoff started.

"Throwing the bowie knife was only meant as an absolute last resort and you're not always going to strike your opponent with that kind of accuracy, especially when they are moving," Dr. Dorian followed, "The cutlass is intended for slashing only, but it still has the range in terms of length, lethality and its deceptively fast for being the larger weapon in this confrontation, edge cutlass."

"The pirate will be able to cut down the cowboy before he can get close enough to stab him with his bowie knife, edge cutlass," Mack finished.

_In short range weapons, the pirate takes the edge with his cutlass._

_ Coming up, for the first time ever both warriors will test out firearms in a battle of mid-range weapons when the world's first shotgun goes up against the one, two punch of two famed six-shooters._

XXXXX

_Now is time for both warriors to show off their mid-range arsenal in a first for 'Deadliest Warrior.'_

"So what have you brought for us today?" Geoff asked Jerry.

The weapons expert responded by pulling out two different revolvers and twirling them with the grace of a master.

"Up first we have the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver," Jerry said handing it over for Geoff to examine, who would in turn hand it over to Mack before pulling out another gun, "and this here is the Colt 1873 Single-Action Army Revolver.

"Both these guns gained popularity in the United States during the latter half of the 19th century due to their rapid fire capabilities, coupled with their accuracy in the hands of an expert, making them a must have for any lawman or outlaw.

"The Navy revolver weighed 42 ounces with a 14 inch length and used a .36 cartridge. The S.A.A. was slightly lighter at 38 ounces and shorter at 13 inches with a seven and a half inch barrel, and used a .45 cartridge. Both guns had a six round cylinder."

"Well we've constructed a recreation of a 19th-century bank with two employees and an armed lawman arriving just in time. Show us what those bad boys can do," Geoff said stepping out of the way and putting earmuffs on.

"Consider it done," Jerry said taking a stand in front of the mock bank, his legs spread apart and his hands just inches away from his sides, like a classic Old Western gunfighter ready to draw.

"On 3…2…1, shoot 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry reached for his revolvers and squeezed their triggers in rapid succession, a small cloud of gun smoke blowing into the air before both guns clicked empty. When all was said and done, all three targets stood with blood gushing from various wounds and the stage was painted red by the blood-filled glass bottles that had been set up along the counters.

"First and foremost, I'm impressed that you managed to expend 12 rounds each in under seven seconds flat with a drawing time of one quarter second, literally like a flash of lightning to your targets," Geoff called out.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to the targets, starting with the lawman mannequin and pulling open its shirt when he noticed the blood splatters.

"You managed to sever the left ventricle with this round, that's going to be an instant kill. I also noticed a mortal wound to this man's liver, not gonna kill him right away, but will let him live long enough to tell the tale. You also managed to score a disarming wound to this man's arm, meaning he's not gonna be able to quick draw you when he sees you coming, if at all with the speed which you fired those rounds," Dr. Dorian said before moving over to the second target.

"With this guy you've managed to fire one round through his cheekbone and another which will sever his brain stem, both instant kills," Dr. Dorian said before moving a little further downward, "I'm seeing another shot that will result in a collapsed long, an eventual kill, and another that will perforate his large intestine, another kill," he said before moving behind the set to examine the bank teller mannequin.

"This guy is the farthest away and you managed to score a shot that would travel directly beneath the man's right eye, this would be a kill," Dr. Dorian reported before moving his hand further south, "I'm also seeing this man's throat pierced, another kill, and his clavicle torn through, another bleed out. All these men would be dead and you'd be a few dollars richer, provided a posse doesn't show up looking for you."

"That's the idea Doc," Jerry said again twirling one of his now emptied pistols for showmanship's sake before turning his attention over to Hank, "I wonder what primitive play thing you've got."

"And your response Hank?" Mack asked.

"This my friend is the blunderbuss, the world's first shotgun," Hank said proudly raising it for all to see, "It could fire anything small enough to fit in the barrel and spread it like a typical shotgun shell, be it nails, rivets, screws, or as I'm going to show right now, grapeshot."

"We have a target set up for you to do just that," Geoff said motioning towards a target set up 15 yards away, "Would you do the honors?"

Hank nodded and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, open fire!" Geoff shouted.

Hank squeezed the trigger, only to be met by a tiny click.

"We have a misfire," the weapons expert reported.

"Heh, that's what you get when you bring primitive bullsh-t like this to the game. Might as well call it for what it is right now," Jerry spoke up, but the panelists ignored him.

Clearing any obstructions Hank got back into his firing position and squeezed the trigger, this time a thunderous boom following as the target was riddled with grapeshot, leaving several scattered holes across the torso.

"These shots spread all over the place," Dr. Dorian stated the obvious before examining further, "I'm seeing shots hitting the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, liver and even some in the throat and face. This would be instant death as soon as you pull the trigger."

"Why expend so many bullets when you've got one shot, one kill?" Hank retorted to Jerry, who remained unconvinced.

_Both weapons have proven their killing potential, but what do our experts think?_

"The blunderbuss no doubt has a widespread range, but the glaring issue we have at hand is that it can be prone to misfire. With the revolvers, even though they had problems of their own, they still function a lot better, edge revolvers," Geoff started off.

"The revolvers are more modern and lack the inferior firing mechanisms of their predecessor, edge revolvers," Dr. Dorian followed.

"The revolvers are faster, more accurate and more reliable, plus they have six shots each, whereas the blunderbuss only gets one shot and if the shooter misses, he won't be able to reload right away, edge revolver," Mack finished.

_In mid-range weapons, the cowboy takes the edge with his Colt revolvers._

_ Coming up, both warriors break out their long range weapons when an early handgun goes up against 'The Gun That Won the West.'_

XXXXX

_The time has come for both warriors to break out their long range weaponry. Up first will be the pirate with his early firearm, the flintlock pistol._

Hank walked up with six flintlocks strapped to his chest, to the surprise of the panelists.

"You're looking like a walking hardware store," Dr. Dorian laughed as Hank made his way over.

"So what do you have for us today?" Geoff asked.

"This is the flintlock pistol," Hank announced drawing one of the pistols, "This is an early single-shot firearm that had a flintlock firing mechanism as its name implies. It has a smoothbore barrel and a long, wooden grip, which can double as a bludgeoning weapon."

"And why are you carrying six on you?" Dr. Dorian inquired.

"Because it was a single-shot weapon there would not be enough time to reload the weapon in the heat of battle, therefore it was common practice for a pirate to carry at least a half dozen pistols each," Hank explained.

"Well for six shots, we've got six targets set up," Geoff said motioning towards the targets, set up 10 yards away, each with a black dot spray painted onto their center mass, "Your objective is to hit the center target. Show us how it's done."

Hank nodded and got into position.

"High speed cameras are up. On 3…2…1, fire!" Geoff shouted.

Hank raised his first flintlock and fired, hitting the first target just below the black dot. Tossing the emptied pistol to the ground, he quickly drew the second flintlock and fired into the next target, striking just to the left of the circle. Reaching for his third pistol he fired, but his shot barely connected. Undeterred, he quickly grabbed for his fourth pistol, his shot sailing past the target's head. Stifling a frustrated grunt, he grabbed for the fifth pistol and fired a round that finally struck the dead center of the black dot. Feeling emboldened by his success, he fired his last shot, which again missed the dot and struck the target in its shoulder.

"Not seeing much accuracy there, leaving me feeling a little nervous," Mack whispered to Geoff.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to inspect the damage, "Your first shot went just below the dot, where you would hit this man in the liver. It would be a mortal wound, but not instant death. Your second shot would pierce this man's lung; he will eventually die from that. Your third shot, you only managed to graze this guy. You're going to hurt him, but not kill him. You barely do enough damage he'll still be able to rush you, not a good thing. The fourth guy here, I'm not seeing anything at all, not good. Moving on to our fifth guy here, you finally got him dead center, instant kill. With our last guy you've only managed to damage his shoulder. You're going to cripple his arm, but not kill him. Altogether we have two delayed kills, two injuries, one instant kill and one guy untouched."

"You're just going to weigh yourself down carrying all those extra guns when you could be smart and carry something with more than just one shot," Jerry said walking up.

"And what do you have for your long range weapon?" Geoff asked.

"This is the Winchester rifle, better known as 'The Gun That Won the West,'" Jerry explained holding up his rifle, "It is a lever-action rifle that weighs 9.5 pounds, is slightly over 49 inches long with a 30 inch barrel and uses a 15 round tube magazine for its feed system. It was a popular for its speed, accuracy, quick reload and large magazine."

"Well we have four targets set up for you. I think you know what you have to do," Geoff said motioning towards four foam targets.

"On the count of three, shoot 'em up! On 3…2…1, do it!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry wasted no time and with his practiced grace, squeezed his trigger four times and in each squeeze, managed to hit his target. He then shot from the left direction, filling the targets full of holes and in the end left stage blood gushing from their wounds.

"My god, you totally tore through these guys. You just saved me from having to put my gloves on," Dr. Dorian quipped, "All these shots are tearing through the necks and upper torsos of your targets. You're gonna tear their most vital organs to shreds with that kind of shooting. Without question, these four are dead men."

"You also managed to pull this off in less than five seconds, that's impressive!" Geoff called out.

"You still have the option of surrender y'know," Jerry sneered towards Hank, who only scoffed in reply.

_Both warriors have shown off their deadly long range arsenals, but where do the experts stand?_

"I don't think we're going to have to debate this much, Winchester all the way," Geoff started, "It has the greater speed, accuracy, range, not to forget a 15 round magazine!"

"I agree, the drawback of the flintlock being a smoothbore weapon is that it even has limited accuracy at shorter ranges, that's going to really mess things up for the pirate, edge Winchester," Mack continued.

"I'm in full agreement with both of you. The Winchester takes the edge hands down. I'm seriously starting to wonder if this is even going to be a fair fight," Dr. Dorian replied.

"Well it's not over yet. We still have one final test to go," Geoff finished.

_In long range weapons, the cowboy takes the edge with his Winchester rifle._

_ Coming up, an improvised tool goes up against a primitive explosive in a battle of the special weapons and then later on, for the first time ever there will be a 5-on-5 squad battle to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

XXXXX

_The time has come for both sides to reveal their special weapons. Up first will be the cowboy with his trusted tool that doubles as a deadly short range weapon._

"So what do you have to show for our next test?" Geoff asked.

"The simple, yet lethal hatchet," Jerry replied, "Out on the open range it served the cowboy well. It could cut up wood for building a fire and could also be used to create fire through sparks and friction. When necessary, it could also split skulls and hack off limbs."

"Then why are we sitting around here talking about it? Show us what you can do," Geoff said motioning towards a nearby ballistic gel torso.

Jerry nodded and took his spot in front of the torso, while Hank looked on skeptically in the background.

"High speed is up and on 3…2…1, hack 'em up Jerry!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry launched himself forward with an overhanded swing, bringing it down onto the crown of the skull and splitting it open with a sickening crunch. He then brought the hatchet down again and hacked into the torso's right arm, not once, but three times before the limb was finally severed and then he went over to do the same to the left arm before drawing back and swinging the blade into the torso's gut, tearing into the gel surface and into the fake intestines beneath before drawing out and delivering one final blow to the torso's neck.

"Jesus f-cking Christ!" Mack called out.

"Hey, you said you wanted to see what it could do," Jerry scoffed.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to the mangled torso to inspect the damage, "Your first shot alone was a kill, literally a skull splitter. You managed to sever both this man's arms, something he will eventually bleed out from. Your shot to the stomach, oh man you tore into him for another kill, and in a _very_ painful way. The last shot to the neck tore this man's throat apart, another instant kill."

"That's a cute show you put on, but my special weapon wouldn't allow you to get anywhere near me for that to happen," Hank replied reaching into his pocket.

"And what do you answer the challenge with?" Mack asked.

"This is the grenado," Hank said pulling the explosive out for all to see, "It was a hollow ball of clay filled with black powder and scrap metal. In the close confines of a ship, this weapon was devastating."

"And we have set up an area with three targets to simulate the kind of close quarters area pirates were used to fighting in while boarding a ship," Geoff said motioning towards a small area surrounded by a small white structure with the three pig carcasses suspended and a grenado in the center, "Show us how much devastation that can dish out."

"You got it," Hank said walking over and pulling out a lighter, igniting the fuse and rushing for safety.

Within seconds the explosive detonated and the pig carcasses were sent reeling by the blast, all of them shredded by the flying shrapnel.

Dr. Dorian approached the blast zone and carefully inspected the damage done to all of the pigs, "All three of these guys would have been toasted in one blast."

"More bang for your buck," Hank smirked.

"I won't lie, that looks like one bad f-cking toy you've got there, but keep in mind you wouldn't be fighting a cowboy in close quarters. You'd be out on the open range, he can just simply run away to avoid the blast," Jerry replied, undeterred by the impressive display."

"Well I'm impressed by what I've seen here, one blast and three instant kills," Geoff smiled.

_Both special weapons have proven their lethal effectiveness, but where do our panelists stand?_

"The hatchet no doubt is a deadly weapon, but it's an improvised tool," Geoff started, "In addition to that, it lacks range and yes it can be thrown, but it wouldn't be a very accurate toss and could just sail harmlessly past the pirate. I'm gonna have to go with the instant kill in this case, that being the grenado."

"Three kills in one blast compared to one, the answer is obvious, edge grenado," Dr. Dorian followed.

"Definitely the grenado all the way for its greater lethality and blast radius, the only drawback being its delayed fuse, yet still the carnage makes up for it," Mack finished.

_In special weapons the pirate takes the edge with his grenado._

_ Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, for the first time ever on 'Deadliest Warrior,' a 5-on-5 squad battle for supremacy._

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"First up we will look at operational experience. Both these warriors had plenty of fighting experience, but the pirates fought for several armies in battles which pitted them against different kinds of enemies and climates. They are given an 89 to the cowboy's 78."

"Disease is another common problem encountered by both warriors, yet the pirate spent most of his time in cramped quarters where he would have been exposed to anything from lice to malaria to scurvy. We gave the cowboy a 76 to the pirate's 41."

"For endurance, the pirate could be worn down by disease and from constantly being in dark, cramped quarters, whereas the cowboy often spent his time in the move in harsh climates, so the cowboy gets an 84 to the pirate's 73."

"For physicality, again the pirate might go without extended periods of strenuous activities, whereas the cowboy was constantly on the move and had to fend for himself in terms of survival in the wilderness. The cowboy gets an 86 to the pirate's 80."

"For training, both warriors had experience as part of professional armies, the pirates often being trained seamen and many of the early cowboys being veterans of the American Civil War, but because of his experience working in both land and sea-based environments, we gave the pirate the edge with an 86 to the cowboy's 79."

"Lastly, there's ferocity. Both warriors had no loyalty but wealth and both men _had_ to be vicious because they knew there would be no mercy shown if they were taken alive. Given the circumstances under which he lived and due to his primitive weapons which would have forced him to improvise at times, we gave the pirate an 88 to the cowboy's 86."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win a battle between two of our first modern warriors profiled?_

_Early black powder _

(A pirate blasts a Spanish sailor in close quarters with his blunderbuss.)

_Vs. Repeating firearms_

(A cowboy rides past rival gang members along a wilderness trail exchanging gunfire with his Colt revolvers.)

_Close quarters combat_

(A pirate storms a merchant ship and cuts his way through several defenders.)

_vs. Long ranged combat_

(A group of cowboys hidden in an abandoned shack exchange gunfire with members of a posse.)

_The high seas_

(The pirate captain orders the Jolly Roger raised just before his ship's cannons discharge.)

_Vs. The American frontier_

(A group of cowboys ride through an open range.)

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

We are taken to the middle of a sparse forest where two pirates have shovels in hand and are digging deeper and deeper into the earth, continuing until there is a _'thunk,' _telling them they have hit something. Looking to his crewmate, the first pirate reaches down and begins sweeping the dirt away from a wooden surface, an old chest!

Both men eagerly lift their discovery out of the hole and present it to one of their colleagues, who in turn presents it to their captain.

Hoping his crew might have finally found something worthwhile in this hostile new land, the pirate captain kneels down and opens the chest, a wolfish grin crossing his bearded face as he finds it filled to the brim with gold doubloons.

Rising to his feet, the captain chuckles merrily and eagerly snatches a bottle of rum one of his crewmen had been passing out. With a toast, the five men share a collective laugh before downing their drinks.

**Pirates: 5**

The celebration is cut short as the men can hear galloping in the distance and they turn their attention towards a nearby hill, where five more men suddenly appear on horseback, all of them wearing goofy hats and long coats.

"Oh bloody hell," the captain grumbles.

**Cowboys: 5**

The lead cowboy chuckles as he takes in the odd garb of the five men, but then he notices the opened treasure chest and sees the gold doubloons inside.

Unfortunately for him, the pirate captain takes notice and reaches for one of his flintlock pistols, prompting both his men and the mounted cowboys to reach for their guns as well.

A thunderous crack fills the air as multiple firearms are discharged simultaneously and one of the pirates quickly falls with several shots to his chest, while one of the cowboys takes a round to the arm, but survives.

**Pirates: 4 – Cowboys: 5**

Unfortunately for the pirates, they quickly find themselves outgunned as these men carry guns unlike anything they have ever seen, ones that can fire multiple rounds. "Retreat!" the pirate captain orders.

"After them!" the lead cowboy shouts, forced to dismount his horse as they are about to descend a narrow trail. His fellow gang members follow suit, including the wounded man, and they split up to trail the scattered pirates, one of the riflemen stopping to grab the bottle of rum still clutched in the dead pirate's hand and downing the rest of its contents before casually tossing the emptied bottle aside.

The lead cowboy, the wounded man and the other rifleman make their way along a crude trail in search of their prey, following a set of distinctive tracks left by the pirates' boots as well as other telltale signs such as broken twigs and cast aside pebbles. They continue moving about until a fit of maniacal laughter comes from behind them.

The wounded cowboy at the rear turns to find a pirate leaping out at him with a blunderbuss in hand, squeezing the trigger. Unfortunately for the pirate, he is rewarded with an empty click. The wounded man wastes no time, raising his revolver with his good hand and firing a point blank shot into the Englishman's face.

**Pirates: 3 – Cowboys: 5**

Another pirate waits nearby and leaps out from behind a tree, firing two flintlocks simultaneously, but unfortunately both his shots fail to connect and he is forced back into hiding as the cowboys unleash a flurry of lead upon him.

Meanwhile, the pirate captain lurks nearby and sees his man in trouble. Reaching into his pocket, the captain produces a grenado and lights the fuse, tossing it over the rocks and landing at the feet of the wounded man.

"Oh sh-"

The explosive detonates and the wounded man is thrown backwards, most of his body shredded apart by the shrapnel.

**Pirates: 3 – Cowboys: 4**

Both cowboys see the pirate captain scurrying away with the treasure chest in his grasp, but first they must deal with the remaining pirate, who again fires upon them with another one of his flintlocks before reaching for yet another. When his next shot misses the lead cowboy pops out and fires a round into the pirate's shoulder and wounding him, leaving him wide open for the rifleman to pop out and shoot him dead.

**Pirates: 2 – Cowboys: 4**

Elsewhere in the woods, the other two cowboys are still trailing the remaining pirate, this one being craftier than his fellow sea dwellers. Both men come to a junction and nod quietly to each other, a sign to split up.

The rifleman goes left, while his comrade goes right, and he carefully makes his way down listening for anything out of the ordinary.

Unknown to him, the remaining pirate is prowling nearby, one hand on a flintlock and the other his cutlass, while a blunderbuss is strapped to his back. He cautiously stalks the cowboy until he draws nearer and reaches out to fire, his shot going to the left and instead hitting a nearby tree.

The rifleman is startled by the thunderous blast coming from behind him and turns just in time to see the pirate charging towards him with his cutlass raised. He attempts to hit his assailant with the stock of his Winchester, but the pirate is quicker and slashes him across his back, leaving him to cry out in pain. The pirate goes to finish off his opponent with another slash, but the man barely ducks out of the way and manages to grab one of his revolvers, quickly squeezing the trigger and catching his assailant in the leg.

The pirate cries out and collapses to a knee, reaching instinctively for another flintlock, but a second shot from the cowboy deters that advance and sends him falling to the ground, the blunderbuss falling behind him. Knowing of his precarious position, he quickly shot his hand backward gripping for it.

Now it's the cowboy's turn to gloat as he scooped up his revolver and struggled back to his feet, only to turn around and find the blunderbuss' barrel pointed directly at him.

With a squeeze of the trigger, there was a deafening boom and the cowboy found himself falling to the ground with his chest shredded apart by grapeshot.

**Pirates: 2 – Cowboys: 3**

The pirate laughed harshly and braces against a nearby tree to pull himself back to his feet. Unfortunately for him his victory is short lived.

The defeated cowboy's colleague emerged from behind the tree and clamped his hand over the pirate's mouth, driving his bowie knife into the man's back and piercing his heart.

**Pirates: 1 – Cowboys: 3**

Wiping the blood from his blade, the cowboy looked down to his fallen friend and tipped his hat out of respect before reaching down to relieve him of his Winchester and remaining ammunition before setting off to find the others.

The cowboys' leader and his other rifleman continued their pursuit of the elusive pirate captain, a chase that had taken them across a small shallow creek and up another hill, both of them determined to steal the man's treasure chest and avenge their fallen comrades.

The pirate captain had created a considerable amount of distance between himself and his pursuers, making his way down a short incline towards the shore where a small escape boat awaits him. He sees his ship in the distance and smiles, knowing he is almost home free. Making his way towards the escape boat, he tosses the chest inside and is about to make a break for it when he hears more footsteps coming from behind him. Grunting in disgust, he hides behind some nearby rocks, knowing it has to be more of those blasted worms pursuing his rightful treasure.

The cowboys' rifleman has created a bit of distance between himself and his leader, eventually making his way to the shore and seeing the escape boat still there, telling him the pirate captain cannot be too far away. He goes to investigate the boat and looks inside to find the treasure chest. With a smile, he eagerly reaches inside and lifts it out, only to be ambushed by the lone captain, who pulls out his cutlass and kills him with a strike to the neck.

**Pirates: 1 – Cowboys: 2**

Smirking at his dirty work, the captain sees one of the revolvers strapped to the dead man's side. Intrigued by the pistol, which is capable of holding more rounds than his antiquated one-shot flintlock, he kneels down and picks up the gun. Examining it closely, he decides he will be adding this to his loot.

A sudden gunshot pierces the air and the captain finds the revolver knocked out of his hand.

He looks up to see another one of those cowboys sneering at him menacingly, his aim unwavering. There is nowhere left to run, but the captain cannot admit defeat, knowing no mercy will be shown if he is taken alive. He stands ready to fight until the end.

The lead cowboy stares intently at his adversary and notes the lack of fear in the man's eyes, truly a worthy opponent. There is nothing left to do but end this. He squeezes the trigger, but nothing happens.

He is out of ammo.

The pirate captain laughs harshly and confidently brandishes his cutlass, ready to cut him down where he stands.

Running is not an option. Knowing he must fight, the lead cowboy reaches into his duster and pulls out his hatchet.

The two men circle each other, trying to read each other's movements, trying to do what they can to psych their opponent out. The pirate is first to act, slashing towards the cowboy's stomach, but the western gunslinger leaps backward to dodge the strike. Seeing his opponent waving his longer blade around menacingly, the gunman keeps circling him and waits for him to go for another slash, this time a little higher and forcing him to bend backwards, the wind taking his hat from his head. The pirate captain attempted another swipe, but got too close to his opponent and the cowboy attempted to capitalize, but the pirate quickly caught himself and punched his opponent in the face, sending him reeling backward.

Trying to take advantage of his stunned opponent the pirate leapt forward, but the cowboy raised his hatchet to deflect his strike and he attempted another, only for the cowboy to again bring his hatchet up and catch his blade, kicking off a test of strength between the two men which would go back and forth until the pirate kicked his opponent in the stomach and again sent the gunman stumbling backward.

The pirate directed a slash at the cowboy's chest, but the gunfighter leapt backwards just in time, the material on the front of his duster cut through. With his opponent still recovering from his failed attack, the cowboy charged forward and tackled his enemy to the sand and began to punch him in the face repeatedly, breaking the seaman's nose and blackening both his eyes.

Despite being on his back the devious pirate was not out of tricks just yet and grabbed a handful of sand, chucking it into his opponent's face. With his assailant temporarily blinded, the captain kicked his foe off of him and grabbed for a flintlock pistol that had fallen from him earlier. Rising to his feet he saw his opponent down on his knees and stood tall over him with the gun trained on the man's face, preparing to end it all.

The cowboy was just regaining his sight when he looked up to see a gun pointed in his face and the pirate captain standing tall over him, a vicious shark-like grin emblazoned upon his visage as he prepared to finish him once and for all.

The cocking of a gun suddenly caught the pirate captain's attention and he looked over to see another one of those cowboys standing before him with a rifle in hand. It would be the last thing he would ever see as the gunslinger opened fire, hitting the captain dead center between the eyes.

**Pirates: 0 – Cowboys: 2**

Seeing the last of the pirates had been eliminated, the lead cowboy looked over to his comrade and smiled before raising his hat into the air and letting out a loud "YEE-HAW!"

XXXXX

Winner: Cowboy

Cowboy:

Bowie Knife: 13

Colt Revolvers: 206

Winchester Rifle: 352

Hatchet: 13

Total: 584

Pirate:

Cutlass: 25

Blunderbuss: 152

Flintlock Pistol: 41

Grenado: 198

Total: 416

_In a battle of two modern warriors, the cowboy managed to score the most kills out of any weapon featured with his Winchester Rifle scoring an impressive 352 kills alone. The pirate's most punishing weapon proved to be his grenado, which nearly scored 200 kills in the simulation._

"Although the pirate proved to be a formidable challenger, in the end the cowboy's technological advantage simply proved to be too much for him," Geoff explained, "Thanks to their advances and superior training, the cowboy could quickly draw, aim and fire his weapons before the pirate could even react."

(Both of the surviving cowboys are seen riding off into the sunset, relishing in yet another hard fought victory. The lead cowboy has the treasure chest tucked carefully beneath his arm while strapped to his horse is the pirate captain's cutlass, something which he thinks could come in handy for his future battles and if not, at least score him a few extra dollars.)

XXXXX

_Next time on Deadliest Warrior: It's a battle between a fierce defender and a fierce conqueror._

Ming Warrior: The merciless 14th-century weapons innovator who launched China's greatest dynasty…

Vs.

Ottoman Janissary: The elite slave soldier who made the Ottoman Empire an unstoppable force for nearly 500 years.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

XXXXX

Author's Note: I know I could have given the cowboy dynamite to go against the pirate's grenado, but admittedly I gave the cowboy the hatchet as a means of giving the pirate a fairer fight, otherwise this would have been a more lopsided affair and I don't want to do that to you my readers, I want to keep you guys guessing.

Well that's it for this installment so until then, read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	8. Ming Warrior vs Ottoman Janissary

Ming Warrior: The frontline warrior who defended and later unified China…

(Several Ming warriors are positioned along the Great Wall of China with their primitive rocket batteries, launching rocket-propelled arrows at attacking Mongols on the ground.)

Vs.

Ottoman Janissary: The battle-hardened slave soldier who expanded the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire.

(A unit of janissaries storms a town, cutting through the defenders with their yataghans and axes while a few more are cut down by janissaries carrying Miquelet rifles.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Ming Warrior

Circa: 1368 A.D.

Height: 5' 7"

Weight: 150 lbs.

Armor:

Leather Lamellar

Bronze Helmet

Ottoman Janissary

Circa: 1529 A.D.

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 160 lbs.

Armor:

Chichak Helmet

Zirh Gomlek

Kalkan Shield

"This is shaping up to be an awesome battle we've got on hand today. On one hand, you've got a fierce defender who unified all of modern China versus a fierce conqueror who sought to expand the Ottoman Empire," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "These are two warriors who were known for their innovations with early artillery and explosives. I can hardly wait."

"I'm going with the Ming Warrior in this battle," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin started, "They accomplished a major task in driving the Mongols out of their homeland and with it they brought about one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability. They had some very innovative weapons for their time that served them well and would allow them to conquer all who stood in their way, as well as intensive training in Shaolin Kung Fu and T'ai Chi."

"I'm siding with the Janissary on this one," trauma doctor Armand Dorian countered, "They were trained under strict discipline with hard labor, which will toughen any man to a great degree. It was because of their intensive training they were able to lead the way for the Ottoman Empire to conquer a stretch of territory twelve times the size of China."

_ The Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368 when the Chinese overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, liberating their homeland from Mongol rule. Immediately they focused on building a powerful standing army to combat future enemy invasions._

"They managed to expand China's borders to include Yunnan, Mongolia, Tibet and much of Xinjiang and Vietnam," Mack explained, "They incorporated gunpowder weapons into their military forces, speeding up a development that had been prevalent since the Song Dynasty."

_The success of the Ming Dynasty was a result of its many military institutions, its military split up into numerous commands throughout the frontier known as 'weis,' helping further spread their influence with a system that kept troops constantly supplied._

"They controlled a vast amount of territory and were able to incorporate weapons and tactics which helped inspired modern weapons. The Janissary will have his hands full," Mack finished.

_The Ming Warrior brings an assortment of innovative weapons to help defend his homeland:_

Short Range: Dao

Mid-Range: Guan Dao

Long Range: 3-Barrel Pole Cannon

Special Weapon: Nest of Bees

Explosive: Mechanical Landmine

_But today, they will be going up against a fearsome conqueror who led the way to help carve out one of the largest empires in the world._

_ With origins shrouded in myth, the janissaries were elite slave soldiers who became the first standing Ottoman army in a service which lasted for nearly 500 years._

"Between the ages of 10 and 12 they would be taken from their parents and given to Turkish families to learn the language, customs and the rules of Islam before they were enrolled into Janissary training and indoctrinated in the religion of Islam," Mack explained, "They were subjected to strict discipline with hard labor and trained in monastic conditions. They were prohibited from growing a beard, taking up any skill other than war, or marrying."

_Extremely well-disciplined warriors who utilized a system of living that served as a precursor to the modern military system, the standing Ottoman army expanded the empire's reach to include portions of southeast Europe, western Asia and northern Africa._

"They served an empire which lasted 623 years. They started out as slaves, but would eventually become a revered military establishment. The Ming will have a fight on his hands that would make a Mongol invasion look miniscule," Mack finished.

_The elite slave warrior makes extensive use of brutal close quarters offense and early black powder weaponry:_

Short Range: Yataghan

Mid-Range: Ottoman Axe

Long Range: Miquelet Rifle

Special Weapon: Abus Gun

Explosive: Ottoman Grenade

_Both teams with start out up close and personal with their deadly swords. Going first will be the Ming Warrior with his changdao._

"The dao or 'Chinese broadsword' is a wide, slightly curved sword with a single cutting edge," weapons maker Dave Baker started out, "The wooden handle is wrapped in cloth to absorb sweat and has a circular metal guard. It was 37 inches in length and weighs slightly over a pound."

Hank was on hand before two suspended pig carcasses making a few practice swings with his dao.

"Alright Hank, we've set up a test against two unarmored opponents and one with armor," Geoff said motioning towards the pigs and then a nearby ballistic gel torso outfitted with the Janissary's Chichak helmet and zirh gomlek plated chainmail and carrying its Kalkan shield, "You know the drill."

Hank nodded and positioned himself between the pig carcasses.

"High speed is up. When you are ready on 3…2…1! Hack 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

Hank immediately shot his blade out to his left with a slash that nearly cut the carcass in half, eliciting an awed response from the panel. He then shot his blade to the right thrusting it through the target before pulling out with a stab to the left carcass and then slashed into the right and then another to the left which slashed the carcass completely in half and then another to cleave the right carcass in half.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to the remnants to begin his inspection.

"All six of your shots would have been kills. All of your thrusts managed to perforate the target's aorta and you completely cleaved through the spinal cords and thus cutting off vital functions in addition to your enemy bleeding out," the doctor explained.

"Your thrusting speed measured in at roughly 4.9 mph, pretty fast with six kills in less than seven seconds," Geoff added.

Hank again nodded quietly and made his way over to the armored target. Getting into position he launched himself forward with a strike to the plate in the center, producing only a dent. Undeterred, he directed another slash, this time and a chainmail portion, which again only seemed to bounce off. He finally went for a stab that managed to penetrate. Drawing his blade backward he brought it down on top of the helmet, only denting it. Now it was time for the shield and he again brought the blade down and cutting his way almost to the boss.

"Time!" Geoff yelled.

Dr. Dorian went over and carefully examined the portions of the armor before carefully removing it.

"With your slash to the plated portion I'm not seeing any penetration at all and the same goes with your slash to the chainmail section," he said feeling an area where only a few rivets had been chipped away. "You managed some penetration with your thrust, but not enough to cause any serious damage to the internal organs beneath, so you're just gonna leave him bleeding." He then moved up and slowly removed the helmet, "With the blow to the helmet there wasn't enough force for penetration or a kill, but you did manage to nearly chop his shield in half."

"From what we're seeing you have no problem at all against an unarmored challenger, but when he's wearing the Janissary's armor it's a whole different story," Geoff added as Jerry looked on in the background.

"Might as well take that dao of yours and go prepare a meal," Jerry chuckled, "My sword would cut through a Ming warrior like he was nothing."

_The Janissary responds with the yataghan._

"The yataghan is a sword with a rich history to back up its design. Much like other blades like the kopis, falcata or kukri, it comes with a shallow forward curve that gives it both great chopping and stabbing capabilities with the fine tempered steel blade it possessed," Dave Baker explained, "It was 29 inches long and just over a pound in weight."

Jerry took a few practice slashes with his yataghan before approaching two suspended pig carcasses. He would undergo the same kind of test followed by practicing against a gel torso outfitted in the Ming's leather lamellar and bronze helmet.

"Alright Jerry, when you are ready be ready at 3…2…1! Go!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry launched himself at the pig carcass to his right with a deep slash that left the carcass' gut wide open and then he launched to his left with a thrust that went all the way through the suspended carcass in a manner similar to the dao. He returned his attention to the right pig with a slash before going for a slash to the left carcass which sliced it in half and then returned his attention to the right, slicing it in half.

"Once again I am seeing all kill shots carried out and done in a manner similar to the dao," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the damage, "and you managed to carry this out in five slashes."

"And you managed all of this at 5 mph, slightly faster than the dao," Geoff added.

"Yeah, I'd start feeling scared right now," Jerry sneered to Hank, who only rolled his eyes. He then made his way over to the armored target and took his position.

Wasting no time, he thrust the blade forward and impaled his target right through its leather armor, albeit with a little struggle. Quickly pulling the blade out, he went for a little higher with his second thrust and quickly pulled out. Drawing his arm back he brought the blade down on top of the bronze helmet, leaving a small dent in its surface.

Dr. Dorian made his way over and carefully removed the leather lamellar, "That yataghan wasted no time making short work of this armor. Your first stab managed to strike the liver, going to be a very painful mortal wound. Your second strike went a little higher and struck the base of the heart, an instant kill." He then removed the helmet, "We didn't detect enough psi to cause any serious trauma, so at the most you've stunned your enemy."

_Both swords have proven their barbaric lethality, but where do our panelists stand?_

"I'm with the yataghan on this one," Geoff started, "It is faster and it can penetrate the Ming's armor, whereas the dao struggled with the Ottoman's, edge yataghan."

"The dao can definitely do some damage to an unarmored foe, but when pitted against one wearing the Ottoman's armor things are different, whereas the Ottoman didn't have that struggle, edge yataghan," Dr. Dorian followed.

"I also agree, the yataghan inflicted more trauma and it can pierce armor, able to both slash and thrust with the same efficiency, edge yataghan," Mack finished.

_In short range weapons, the Ottoman Janissary takes the edge with his yataghan._

_ Coming up, a heavy duty battle axe goes up against a legendary crescent blade named after the general who invented it._

XXXXX

_Now is the time for both sides to break out their mid-range arsenals. Up first will be the Janissary with his Ottoman Axe._

"The Ottoman Axe was made of the finest tempered steel that only a sword could enjoy," Dave explained, "It was a crescent-shaped axe with a small pike at the top. It was five feet long and weighed 3 pounds."

"We're going to have you put the axe to the same test you did with the yataghan," Geoff said motioning towards a ballistic gel torso outfitted in Ming armor, "So whenever you are ready."

Jerry nodded and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, open 'em up!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry raised his axe high and brought it down on top of the helmeted skull with a sickening squish before flipping the axe so its pike was at the front and driving it through the leather breastplate before again turning his axe and swinging it horizontally into the target's gut.

Dr. Dorian started out by removing the dummy's dented helmet, "On this first shot we detected over 450 psi, easily a skull fracture along with severe neck and spinal trauma, an instant kill. With your stab you penetrated the armor and struck this man at the base of his heart, another instant kill. Your horizontal strike to the midsection tore right into this man's intestines and he's going to bleed out immediately. Altogether you've managed to score 3 instant kills."

"That is impressive, but with my warrior's mid-range weapon he'll have you run through before you're able to get close enough," Hank smirked.

_The Ming Warrior answers the challenge with the guan dao._

"The guan dao was a weapon invented by the legendary Chinese general Guan Yu," Dave explained, "It was 6 feet long and weighed in at 11 pounds, something you can slash and stab with very nicely."

"I'm seeing that this blade weighs 11 pounds, don't you worry that could become too cumbersome in a fast paced battle?" Geoff asked eying the weapon suspiciously.

"There is a pointed counterweight used for balancing the heavy blade, which can also enable strikes from the opposite end," Hank explained.

"Well let's see what it can do. The same test has been set up with a gel torso wearing the typical Ottoman armor. It's all yours now," Geoff said motioning towards the gel torso and Hank got into position.

"On 3…2…1, hack 'em!" he shouted.

Hank let out a shout and slashed diagonally across the torso's unprotected face, then using the momentum to spin around again and slash at the protected chest, having more impact than the dao before it. He went for another full body rotation, striking a little higher and slashing into the lower portion of the neck before connecting with the chainmail collar. He switched the blade's position and thrust into the center plate, managing to penetrate. Moving backwards he then leapt forward and thrust the pole arm into his target three more times, managing to penetrate the chainmail surface each time.

"That was impressive!" Geoff called out clapping.

"Heh, a whole lot of dancing if you ask me," Jerry scoffed.

"Your first strike cut diagonally across this man's face and went right through the bone, an instant kill," Dr. Dorian reported before carefully inspecting the chainmail top, "The guan dao had more success than the dao, you actually managed to cut through a small portion and lacerate the skin underneath. It's not much, but it's progress."

"The weight of the blade and the leverage from its handle was intended for it to cut through most armors of medieval China, including chainmail," Hank explained.

Dr. Dorian nodded back before moving up to the neck, "The neck has been lacerated, another instant kill." He then carefully removed the chainmail armor to inspect the stabbing wounds, "With your three thrusting attacks you managed to perforate the left lung, liver and the heart, all would be kill shots."

"Better than your two step," Hank scoffed to Jerry.

_Both weapons have proven their ability to penetrate their opponent's armor, but where do our panelists stand?_

"The guan dao has a multiuse blade that gives you options for more kills, edge guan dao," Geoff started.

"I'm going with the Ottoman Axe on this one because its lighter and it's got both a crescent-shaped blade that can cause all sorts of trauma and a pike on the end that can double for stabbing attacks, edge Axe," Dr. Dorian responded.

Once again a tiebreaker would fall down to Mack.

"The guan dao impressed me more than I thought it would. It has a weighted end to compensate for its weight and allow for more fluid movements and it's got a curvy blade that can make for a nasty cut that could threaten the Janissary's armor, edge guan dao."

_For mid-range weapons, the guan dao takes the edge._

_ Coming up, both warriors engage in a showdown of primitive black powder weapons when an early rifle goes toe-to-toe with an early multi-shot cannon._

XXXXX

_The time has come for a showdown between two primitive black powder weapons. Up first will be the Ming Warrior with his 3-barrel pole cannon._

The crew moved outside to where Hank approached with his long range weapon.

"This is the 3-barrel pole cannon," he said presenting his primitive firearm, "It was three barrels arranged in a triangle, mounted on a single wooden handle, which in turn rested upon a wooden pole. In a major innovation for its time, it was capable of multiple shots."

"Well we have your target set up over there, so show us what it's capable of," Geoff said motioning towards a mannequin outfitted in Ottoman armor.

Hank got into position and placed the cannon on its wooden pole before pulling out a lighter.

"When you are ready! On 3…2…1! Fire!" Geoff called out.

Hank ignited the black powder through a touch hole on the barrel and his first shot was fired, impacting the plated steel portion in the center of his target, yet his round bounced off only leaving a dent.

"Heh," Jerry scoffed from the background.

Hank adjusted his aim and rotated the cannon to its next barrel and ignited the black powder charge, firing another projectile that went through a chainmail portion and sent some stage blood spilling out. Rotating his cannon for the last time he again lit the charge and fired his last round, striking another chainmail portion.

"Let's see the damage," Dr. Dorian said walking over to inspect the mannequin, "Your first shot struck the steel plated center, no penetration. Moving onto where you did hit," he said before carefully removing the armor, "Your first shot that did connect struck your target in the upper portion of his lung, an instant kill. Your second shot struck the area near his shoulder joint, that's going to render his arm useless, but not kill him."

"Dang, I was hoping to take out his other lung," Hank said shaking his head.

"You might have three shots, but my rifle has greater accuracy and like all my other weapons, can penetrate your guy's armor with ease," Jerry said stepping in.

"And what do you bring to counter?" Geoff asked.

"This is the Miquelet Rifle," Jerry said brandishing his firearm, "It is a smoothbore musket with a 45 inch barrel and fires lead balls. It has twice the accuracy and twice the range of the Ming's pea shooter."

"We've set your target 30 yards downrange, outfitted with the Ming's lamellar. In accordance with the earlier test, you will be given three shots. All you need to do now is get into position," Geoff said.

Jerry nodded and dropped to a knee with his rifle raised.

"On 3…2…1, open fire!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry squeezed the trigger and fired a round that punched its way effortlessly through the leather lamellar. Wasting no time, he quickly pulled out a rod used for cleaning out the barrel and went to work.

"Look at all the time he's wasting," Hank spoke up, "In the time it takes him to reload, a Ming Warrior could easily be gunning him down with his two extra shots. He's a sitting duck like that."

After ramming some black powder down the barrel, Jerry slid the ball down the rifle's barrel and went for his next shot, this one sailing a little higher and striking his target in the throat. Pulling out the rod he again cleaned the barrel before sliding in more black powder followed by the ball. Taking a knee he squeezed the trigger and fired his final shot, sailing right between the target's eyes.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to the target and began his assessment, "Your first shot damaged both ventricles into the heart and pierced his spinal cord, an instant kill. Your second shot destroyed this man's throat, another instant kill. The last round was dead center right between the eyes, bringing you up to three instant kills altogether."

"In between shots your average reload time was 48 seconds, nice job," Geoff congratulated.

"I always aim to please," Jerry chimed proud of his handiwork.

_Both long range weapons are deadly, but where do our panelists stand?_

"For me it's the rifle all the way," Dr. Dorian started, "It has superior range, accuracy and a heavier caliber, edge rifle."

"But that reload time was murder," Geoff countered, "With every single shot you take you have to clean out the barrel, ram the black powder in and then the ball. Unless you have cover, you're nothing but a sitting duck. With the cannon you have three shots, edge cannon."

Once again it was up to Mack to provide the tiebreaker.

"The cannon may have a higher rate of fire, yet it has another drawback," he started, "It is a two-handed weapon that is a bit awkward at carrying around and handling, plus without its stand its accuracy decreases, edge rifle."

_In long range weapons, the Janissary takes the edge with his Miquelet Rifle._

_ Coming up, in a first on 'Deadliest Warrior,' both sides will show off emplaced weaponry in a battle of their special weapons._

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_And now the time has come for both sides to break out their special weapons and the Janissary goes first with the abus gun._

The crew was gathered around what appeared to be an early artillery piece set up in front of a cluster of foam targets.

"Jerry, tell us what we're looking at here," Geoff said looking the piece over.

"This is the abus gun. It was an early form of small bore artillery invented by the Ottoman Empire which primarily served as an anti-infantry weapon," Jerry explained, "They were short-barreled, but were often too heavy to be carried and thus had to be outfitted with tripod frames. They had a caliber between 3 and 9 inches and fired a projectile which weighed 4.25 pounds, the size of a human fist."

"Well I'm excited to see it in action and we've set up a small army to test its capabilities out upon," Geoff said motioning towards the small formation of targets, a few of which had been outfitted in Ming armor, "You've got 3 shots. Make them count."

"Shall we?" Jerry asked a crew member named Andy who had been brought on to help him out. They nodded to each other and they made their way over to get things going.

Jerry took the time to position the gun while Andy loaded the projectile. Looking to each other they nodded and he lit the fuse, the gun firing and sending the projectile flying into the formation and tearing a hole through the torso of the dummy at the front.

"Holy sh-t," Geoff and Dr. Dorian gasped in unison.

Continuing where they left off, Andy loaded another projectile and Jerry lit the fuse, sending the projectile firing into the air. Unfortunately, the projectile went flying off to the side and buried itself into the nearby earth.

"Ooh, that's not good," Mack said as Hank smirked off to the side.

Jerry stopped to take in the positioning of the 'oncoming horde' and adjusted the abus gun's aim. When he was certain he would be getting somewhere he ordered Andy to load the next projectile and he lit the fuse, firing his last projectile into the crowd.

The last shot connected better than the first, managing to take out two targets.

"Impressive," was all Geoff could say to the last shot as Dr. Dorian went over to assess the kills.

"Your first shot completely tore this man's chest apart, he's going to be dead before he hits the ground," he reported as he took notice of another foam torso set up near where the second shot connected with the ground, "Even though your second shot missed, I am seeing that this guy here was still struck by flying debris, which become small razor sharp projectiles unto themselves," the doctor explained as he felt along the jagged tears left behind in the foam surface until he got to the neck, "Wait a minute, I'm seeing a small shard embedded in the neck of this guy and it's deep enough to be a kill! We have two kills thus far."

Dr. Dorian then made his way over to the two overturned torsos and knelt beside them, "This guy you've completely destroyed the left hand side of his body, ripped his arm off and opened up his torso, there are plenty of things killing this guy before he even hits the ground," he said before looking over to the other dummy, "and this guy has the entire right side of his face ripped off, another instant kill. Altogether you have 4 kills."

"Lots of trauma inflicted. Imagine what it would be like with an entire squad of these bad boys," Geoff said looking the abus gun over.

"But you only get one shot and look at the horrendous reload time," Hank pointed out, "With my special weapon I get 32 shots in one launch, meaning more chances to kill."

"And what do you bring to counter the abus gun?" Mack asked walking up to where Hank was set up.

"I bring the Nest of Bees," Hank replied motioning towards his special weapon, "This is an early rocket battery, filled with 32 rocket-tipped arrows. In addition, the arrows could be tipped with poison or flammable materials such as pitch, bitumen or resin, as well as 'armor busters' and explosive. They could range from massive battery-like emplacements to handheld and could be used on land and water. Their range could go from up to 5 football fields away and they had an added psychological effect thanks to the noise and smoke."

"Sounds like a very promising weapon you've got. We've set up an entire army of foam targets to simulate an invading Ottoman horde," Geoff explaining motioning towards the posted enemies, "Leading the charge is a mounted dummy clad in standard janissary armor. All you have to do now is let 'em fly."

Hank nodded and made his way over to the emplacement waiting for the signal.

"Alright Hank, on 3…2…1, open fire!" Geoff shouted.

Hank pulled back the cover and with a deafening hiss an entire volley of rocket-propelled arrows shot out of their canister, a blinding cloud of smoke following. When the smoke finally cleared there were several targets with arrows sticking out of them.

"I can tell already we have multiple kills in one shot, yet let's see how effective the shots were," Dr. Dorian said making his way over.

"With our guy on the horse I'm seeing one of the arrows impacted his armor, yet failed to penetrate," Dr. Dorian said pointing out a visible dent, "Probably not going to be enough to hurt him, yet should be enough to scare him."

The trauma doctor then inspected the rest of the dummies present, "From what I'm seeing, you only managed to hit six of the targets out of 32 arrows fired, yet at the same time I notice that all of your arrows that connected were instant kills," he reported, noticing some of the arrows had hit the dead center painted into the targets' chests.

"All show and very little go," Jerry chuckled.

"Not all of my arrows may connect, but with the speed at which they come at you they are harder to predict," Hank countered, "That plus the fact that I have 32 shots compared to your one gives me a higher probability of scoring a kill. They travel in all directions in front, there's a higher chance you could be dead before you even think of hitting the deck."

_Both weapons are unlike anything our experts have seen profiled before, but where do they stand?_

"I'm gonna go with the nest of bees on this one," Geoff started, "32 shots at once compared to one? C'mon! Not only that, you also have the added psychological warfare aspect with the noise and smoke, something a lot of foreign invaders might not be used to on the battlefield. The abus gun can do a lot of damage no doubt, but with the careful positioning it requires, plus the time to reload and fire will create more problems for the user and give their enemies more time to overrun them, edge nest of bees."

"I have to disagree with you on this one," Dr. Dorian countered, "The nest of bees may have scored more kills, yet it is too unpredictable for my standards. From what I see, you either have an instant kill or nothing at all. With the abus gun, you have more trauma and if aimed and timed correctly, you can have more than one kill with one shot. Also, you have to take into consideration the additional damage that can be caused by the debris of missed shots and the impact of enemy soldiers being tossed into the air and striking the ground, edge abus gun."

Once again things would fall down to Mack for a tiebreaker.

"I'm gonna have to go abus gun on this one," Mack started, "From what I've seen depending upon their make, both weapons could have proven too cumbersome to move around and would requirement emplacement, requiring a tripod in the abus gun's case and the use of both hands in the nest's case, but when it comes down to it I find the abus gun provides clearer results and is more likely to connect in its one shot, edge abus gun."

_In special weapons, the Janissary takes the edge with the abus gun._

_ Coming up, both sides show off their primitive explosives and then after that, it's another brutal 5-on-5 squad battle to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

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_And now the time comes for both warriors to unveil their explosive arsenals. Up first will be the Ming Warrior with his mechanical landmine._

The next test took the crew to an open field where Hank stood near a mound of freshly dug up earth surrounded by four mannequins.

"Say hello to the mechanical landmine," Hank said motioning towards the primitive explosive device, "It was a very complex device consisting of a bowl filled with slow-burning incandescent material, which was attached to a number of bamboo tubes filled with black powder, leading to powder-filled clay pots. It was a slow, but deadly killer that could burn continuously for 20 to 30 days."

"And how did it work?" Geoff inquired.

"A weapons cache would often be used as bait," Hank explained motioning towards a number of spears planted in the mound, "When the weapons were pulled upwards, it disturbed the bowl, which in turn ignited the fuses and set off the weapon. There were cases in which it could also be triggered by a tripwire across the path or an ambusher hiding and pulling the wire when enemies drew close."

"And that's exactly what you're about to do," Geoff said motioning towards the four mannequins on the mound, "We've set up a tripwire you are going to pull to trigger the explosives. When you are ready get into position."

Hank nodded and the crew took positions behind a blast proof barrier. Getting their protective gear on, he took the wire in hand and prepared.

"On 3…2…1!" Geoff counted down.

Hank pulled the wire and immediately the mine was detonated, sending the four mannequins airborne with missing limbs.

"Once again you save me the need to put my gloves on," Dr. Dorian chuckled as he walked over to the smoking crater and stood tall above the mangled mannequins, "We are looking at 4 kills altogether."

"Guess you're the one who'd better start feeling intimidated now," Hank chuckled.

"And what do you bring to counter?" Geoff inquired.

Jerry presented his own explosive, "The Ottoman grenade. Like many of its day, it came in a small ceramic ball and was filled with black powder and caltrops. Anybody gets near it, they die, end of story."

"Nothing we haven't seen before," Hank scoffed.

Geoff ignored Hank's comment and motioned to a wooden wall that had been set up, "Well we're going to simulate an oncoming assault conducted by Ming Warriors. As you can see we have four mannequins set up to represent the attackers, each of whom have been outfitted with frag and shock patches. Both those patches trip, your enemy dies. Go get yourself into position."

Jerry nodded and climbed a ladder. Pulling out his lighter he lit the fuse and tossed the explosive into a wagon the mannequins flanked. The five second fuse expired and the grenade exploded, knocking three of the targets while the fourth is left on its feet.

"Already I'm not liking your odds," Hank whispered to Jerry.

Dr. Dorian rounded the wall to inspect the wreckage.

"I'm seeing one guy who was positioned far enough away from the blast radius to escape injury, meaning he's still able to rush forth to avenge his comrades, not something you'd want," the doctor said before going to examine the others.

"However there is a possibility for other less lethal injuries," Geoff interjected, "The flash of the explosion could blind him, either temporarily or permanently, he could suffer permanent hearing damage and there's also the psychological effect of watching your buddies get blown to pieces."

Dr. Dorian nodded before getting down to business, "This first guy I'm seeing has his chest completely torn apart and I'm also noticing a small metal shard embedded in his temple, an instant kill," the doctor reported before moving over to the other fallen mannequin, "This guy right here was blown in half, a gory fate that might not always kill him right away, but will almost always be lethal right away."

He then inspected the last mannequin, which lay nearby covered in stage blood, but appeared otherwise undamaged.

"Now this guy here I'm not seeing the impact patch tripped, meaning he could still be alive," Dr. Dorian said inspecting the patches placed before reviewing the footage captured on the high speed cam, "From what I see in this video there are numerous crippling injuries he could have sustained judging by the force which he landed. He could have a collapsed lung, a shattered pelvis, broken ribs, broken limbs, even if he does survive he'd be a wreck."

"So we have 2 kills, one injured and one guy left untouched," Geoff reported.

_Both explosives have been tested and proven their lethality, but where do our experts stand?_

"For me it's the landmine all the way," Geoff started, "4 kills against 2, it's obvious, edge landmine."

"The only drawback of the landmine is that it's an emplaced weapon, meaning an enemy could completely pass it by, yet its lethality and larger explosive payload make up for it, edge landmine," Dr. Dorian seconded.

"I'm with both of you on this one, edge landmine," Mack finished.

_For explosive weapons, the Ming Warrior takes the edge with the mechanical landmine._

_ Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior!'_

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_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"First up we will cover training and the edge is given to the Ming Warrior due to his extensive training in both the weapons he utilized, as well as various forms of martial arts such as Shaolin Kung Fu and T'ai chi, whereas the Ottomans only changed their arsenal. We gave the Ming a 96 to the Janissary's 94."

"Operational experience is another key factor and we gave the edge to the Janissary. They were part of a vast conquering force which explored distant lands and fought enemies of varying skills and weaponry, whereas the Ming focused primarily on their native land. We gave the Ottoman a 92 to the Ming's 84."

"Another X-factor is weapon reliability and the Janissary takes the edge with a 93 to the Ming's 86. At this time in history their weapons technology was more advanced and they were given the best their empire had to offer."

"Endurance is another factor and here it is dead even. The Ming Warrior trains constantly with varying degrees of weaponry, whereas the Janissary was a hardened slave soldier who would march for days to reach his goal. They were both given a 91."

"For killer instinct, being a slave just serves to make the Janissary hardier and more instinctive in his killing abilities, so he gets a 94 to the Ming's 92."

"Ferocity was also a key factor and once again it goes to the Ming. They managed to kick the Mongols of all people out of their homeland and give birth to their dynasty. We gave them a 94 to the Ottoman's 88."

"Lastly, we factor in loyalty. Late in the Janissary's history this would be driven down. They would revolt; cannon fire was erupted upon their barracks and all who survived were effectively exiled or executed, thus ending the corps, the Ming only fell because their empire died. The Ming takes a 95 to the Janissary's 47."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win a battle between two very different types of warriors?_

_ A fierce defender_

(Ming Warriors are shown in a hilly area battling Mongol forces and getting the upper hand.)

_A fierce invader_

(Ottoman Janissaries are shown gaining the upper hand in a battle and killing every member of the defending army to the last man.)

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said throwing the switch.

XXXXX

The day is calm in the Chinese countryside as a group of Ming Warriors converge on a nearby cliff overlooking the vast forests below. There are four of them gathered above while a fifth is down below, setting up a mechanically triggered landmine and sticking a sword atop the freshly disturbed mound as bait for any passing enemy forces.

**Ming Warrior: 5**

There have been rumors of an impending invasion and they are patrolling an area where outsider activity has been reported.

The group's leader carefully scans the horizon, motioning for his men to halt when he notices something amiss.

Down below five strangely dressed men have gathered and are setting up what appears to be some kind of cannon. Whoever they are, they are outsiders in their domain and their presence must not be tolerated.

Five Ottoman Janissaries have arrived in a new land seeking to expand their empire's influence. They have heard of the technology the local warriors are rumored to possess and have brought along an abus gun as a precaution, two of them in the process of prepping it for battle.

**Ottoman Janissary: 5**

The five Ming warriors have regrouped and are making their way along the hillside, one of them now having grabbed a Nest of Bees. They continue to move until they are within range to mount their offensive and the warrior with the primitive rocket battery gets into position, waiting for his leader's approval before executing the launch.

The lead janissary hears a strange hissing coming from above and looks up just in time to see a barrage of arrows flying in their direction. He quickly alerts his comrades and they scatter to avoid the multi-pronged blast. Unfortunately, one of them is too slow and is struck through the leg by an arrow. He is not deterred and yanks the arrow from his leg, angrily throwing it to the ground.

One of the janissaries managed to take cover behind the abus gun and he gets into position and returns fire, his shot sailing high and decapitating one of the Ming warriors.

**Ming Warrior: 4 – Ottoman Janissary: 5**

Having drawn first blood, the emboldened janissaries make their charge up the hill, one of them drawing his rifle and opening fire, but his shot sails harmlessly past the head of a Ming warrior, who retaliates by drawing his 3-barreled pole cannon and firing a round at the shooter, who is knocked to the ground, but survives due to the projectile striking a plated portion of his armor and is helped back to his feet by one of his comrades.

The other janissaries continue their advance, yet another Ming warrior armed with a pole cannon is on hand to intercept them and opens fire, his shot absorbed by a janissary's kalkan shield. The other cannon-wielding Ming steps in to back up his colleague, rotating the gun and firing his second shot, managing to strike one of the janissaries between the eyes.

**Ming Warrior: 4 – Ottoman Janissary: 4**

One of the rifle-carrying janissaries takes to a knee and fires a shot, striking the shooter in his lower abdomen. The other janissaries follow suit opening fire, yet failing to strike any of the Ming warriors and forcing them to retreat.

The janissaries continue their pursuit, yet one of them takes notice of the wounded Ming warrior, who writhes on the ground in agony unable to move his legs. Raising his Ottoman axe above his head the janissary brings it down onto the defenseless Chinese warrior's neck, ending his suffering.

**Ming Warrior: 3 – Ottoman Janissary: 4**

The janissaries continue their dogged pursuits of their enemies as their wounded colleague struggles to keep up, so driven are they that they pass the sword stuck in the ground. The injured janissary takes notice of the sword and thinking it could be useful later on, he hobbled over to collect it. Pulling the sword out of the ground, the landmine underneath detonates, killing the Ottoman warrior instantly.

**Ming Warrior: 3 – Ottoman Janissary: 3**

Having heard the blast, the remaining janissaries turn to see the dismembered remnants of their colleague splattered across the crude trail. Looking to each other, they bow their heads to briefly mourn their fallen comrade before resuming the chase.

Making a sharp turn on the mountain trail, the trio of janissaries is again ambushed by the two cannon-wielding Ming warriors who fire their shots simultaneously. One of the janissaries raises his kalkan shield in time to absorb the shot, but another is not as lucky and is shot in the face.

**Ming Warrior: 3 – Ottoman Janissary: 2**

Now enraged, the two remaining janissaries fire their rifles wildly at their opponents, but both of their shots miss as the warriors retreat to higher ground.

One of the Ming warriors took cover behind a rock and was desperately attempting to reload his weapon, unknown one of the janissaries had spotted him.

Stopping his colleague from advancing further, the lead janissary reached into his pouch and produced a hand grenade. Lighting the fuse, he lobbed it over the rock formation, an explosion following seconds later and with it, the thud of another Ming body hitting the rocky surface.

**Ming Warrior: 2 – Ottoman Janissary: 2**

Hopping over the rock formation they hid behind the second janissary charged forth, only to be ambushed by another Ming warrior pulling out his dao and slashing at his leg before twirling his body and killing him with another strike to the neck.

**Ming Warrior: 2 – Ottoman Janissary: 1**

It would be a short-lived victory for the Chinese warrior as the lead janissary charged him and drove the pike end of his axe into the man's chest, his leather lamellar doing nothing to protect his heart.

**Ming Warrior: 1 – Ottoman Janissary: 1**

The sole remaining janissary looked up to see the last Ming warrior standing before him with his guan dao in hand, letting out a yell of defiance before he made his charge.

With the grace of a trained master the Ming warrior launched himself forward and swung his guan dao downward, but the janissary raised his axe to parry the blow. It was a move that left him wide open as the Chinese fighter shot his foot into the Ottoman's midsection and then twirled his body, slashing into him with the pole arm's blade. Fortunately for the slave warrior, his zirh gomlek armor was thick enough to absorb the blow, momentarily stunning him. The Ming warrior twirled his body again, this time executing a roundhouse kick that knocked his opponent from his feet.

The Ottoman warrior grunted in pain as he rolled on the rocky surface and rose into a sitting position against a boulder, only to find himself forced to roll to the side to avoid an attempted stab from his opponent's guan dao. Pulling himself back to his feet he reached for his scabbard and withdrew his yataghan, bringing it up just in time to parry another twirling strike from his enemy's weapon. He responded with a kick of his own and then slashed his opponent across the arm, forcing him to drop his heavy pole arm.

Grunting in pain, the Ming drew his dao from its scabbard and stood in position with it raised above his head, daring his challenger to advance.

The two men stared quietly towards one another before the Ottoman let out a battle cry and leapt forward with his blade raised above his head, his opponent barely bringing his blade up in time to absorb the blow. The Ming attempted to duck low and again knock his opponent from his feet with a sweep kick, but the Ottoman leapt backwards and waited for his opponent to leap towards him in another back and forth struggle that saw their swords clash repeatedly. The struggle continued until the janissary drew his opponent close enough to slash into his other arm, forcing him to drop his dao and then with another forward thrust he drove his blade through the Ming's lamellar breastplate and into his gut.

The Ming's eyes grew wide and he coughed out a torrent of blood before stumbling backwards off the cliff to his death.

**Ming Warrior: 0 – Ottoman Janissary: 1**

His opponent defeated, the janissary raised his bloody sword into the air and cried "Imparatorluğun zafer için!"

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Winner: Ottoman Janissary

Ottoman Janissary:

Yataghan: 165

Ottoman Axe: 38

Miquelet Rifle: 275

Abus Gun: 79

Ottoman Grenade: 16

Total: 573

Ming Warrior:

Dao: 51

Guan Dao: 141

3-Barrel Pole Cannon: 21

Nest of Bees: 15

Mechanical Landmine: 199

Total: 427

_In a battle of two fierce warriors, the Ottoman Janissary emerged victorious thanks largely in part to his Miquelet Rifle and Yataghan. The Ming Warrior wasn't too far behind, his guan dao and mechanical landmines being his most effective weapons._

"The janissary won largely in part because he had the more reliable long range weaponry and the access to artillery that could get the job done, couple that with sturdier armor and their experience battling a more diverse assortment of enemies and you get today's victor," Geoff explained.

(The victorious janissary is shown limping down the mountain trail, ready to send word to the Sultan's armies to prepare for an all out invasion. In his hands he holds the defeated Ming Warrior's guan dao, hoping it will help inspire different weapon designs for his growing army.)

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_Next time on Deadliest Warrior: It's a battle of two fierce modern Asian warriors._

Gurkha: The fierce native warriors of Nepal who employed their savagery as mercenaries for the British Empire.

Vs.

Viet Cong: The ragtag band of guerilla fighters from the jungles of Vietnam who took on the U.S. Army and drove them out of their homeland.

_Who will be...THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

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Author's Note: Imparatorluğun zafer için! – Turkish for "For the glory of the empire"

Hope you enjoyed and as always read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	9. Gurkha vs Viet Cong

Author's Note: Like it was on the show, the Gurkha profiled here comes from the WWII-era. 1944 was the year in which they carried out their "improvised ambush" that was profiled on the show.

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Gurkha: The fearless mountain assassins who take on the British Empire's most dangerous missions…

(A group of Gurkhas are shown ambushing and gunning down a group of Imperial Japanese soldiers passing along a jungle path.)

Vs.

Viet Cong: The cunning guerillas who battled the U.S. Army and won.

(Several Viet Cong operatives ambush an Army base camp, catching the relaxing soldiers by surprise.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Gurkha

Circa: 1944

Height: 5' 3"

Weight: 135 lbs.

Armor: None

Viet Cong

Circa: 1966

Height: 5' 4"

Weight: 130 lbs.

Armor: None

"Today we have two warriors going head to head who were fearlessly dedicated to their respective causes," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "Neither man is afraid of death and it was this ferocity that has made them legends in their own right to this day."

"I'm siding with the Viet Cong for this battle," Dr. Armand Dorian started, "Although I do not agree with their ideology, still I cannot ignore the fact that they were able to take on the United States Army with what little they had and they won."

"I'm with the Gurkha on this one," Geoff Desmoulin countered, "They are about as fearless and as disciplined as you can get, plus they train in the mountains of Nepal, which is going to make them very physically fit."

_The Gurkhas first gained fame during the Gurkha War of 1814 when the British East India Company attempted to invade Nepal and failed thanks to their unorthodox tactics and fearless nature._

"They are famous for their unquestionable loyalty, ambition ferocity and resolve," Mack had explained, "They were truly unlike anything the British had ever encountered. They were so impressed by their combat skills and bravery they began hiring the Gurkhas to fight for them."

_Ever since the Gurkhas have fought in every major conflict the British Empire has been involved in and their regiments are still in existence to this day, but it was at World War II they reached the height of their fame._

"Defeat is not a word in their vocabulary. They are naturally warlike and aggressive in battle and above all, they have no fear of dying in battle, that alone makes them a force to be feared," Mack finished.

_The Gurkhas bring to battle an assortment of traditional weapons mixed with the advanced technology of the British Army:_

Short Range: Kukri

Mid-Range: Webley Revolver

Long Range: Bren Light Machinegun

Special Weapon: Enfield No. 4 Rifle

Explosive: Mills Bomb

_But today, they will be going up against an equally ruthless adversary just as fanatically dedicated to their cause._

_ Following World War II, Ho Chi Minh demanded Vietnam's independence from France in exchange for their assistance, but the French refused. It was following the First Indochina War their colonial rulers were removed and in its place two different nations formed: the communist North Vietnam and the capitalist South Vietnam._

"The Viet Cong were formed as an underground guerilla group who desired to reunite Vietnam, getting their start participating in acts of sabotage and assassination against the corrupt South Vietnamese government. They were known for their cunning and skill in unconventional warfare, managing to inflict numerous casualties against U.S. forces," Mack explained.

_With their tunneling, small squads, booby traps and ambushes, the Viet Cong were able to withstand the U.S. forces for over a decade. Following the U.S.'s withdrawal it wasn't long before the South government fell and the nation of Vietnam was reunited under communist rule. The Viet Cong disbanded the following year._

"They were ragtag, but they knew how to attack you from all sides without any warning and it was thanks to their unconventional tactics they were able to instill a fear in their better equipped, better trained adversaries like no one had ever seen before," Mack finished.

_The Viet Cong brings an assortment of improvised weaponry to the battle which they hope will inflict heavy trauma upon their new foes:_

Short Range: Cane Knife

Mid-Range: Tokarev TT-33

Long Range: MAT-49

Special Weapon: Punji Spike Trap

Explosive: POMZ-2 Mine w/F1 Grenade

_Both teams will start out with their short range weaponry. The Gurkha will go first with their iconic Nepalese knife._

"The kukri has a heavy, forward-curved blade with a single cutting edge and a circular notch near its handle, similar in design to the Iberian falcata and the Greek kopis. The small notch in the lower part of the blade is designed to keep dripping blood from reaching the handle and making the user's hand slippery," Dave Baker explained, "It was primarily used for chopping and is also serves as a multi-use tool similar to a machete. It was typically 18 inches in length and weighed anywhere between 1 and 2 pounds."

Hank was given a kukri and was in the midst of polishing it when the crew walked up to him.

"Alright Hank, we've set up a test to simulate two opponents charging at you from both sides," Geoff said motioning to a makeshift hall set up between two wooden barriers. At each end were two sections of bovine torsos standing in for enemy combatants. "Let's see what that baby can do."

Hank nodded and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, attack!" Geoff said motioning for the slabs to be released.

The first target came at Hank from the front and he slashed high, an arc of blood following his first slash. With his first target stricken, the second target came at him just before he had finished attacking his first, but in an amazing show of speed he spun his body around and delivered a spinning kick before stabbing into his foe and then slashing them apart.

With both targets incapacitated Dr. Dorian made his way over to assess the damage, "With both of these guys I'm seeing instant kills. The first target took a deep slash to what would have been a man's neck, meaning he's gonna bleed out within seconds. Your second target, the blade penetrated deep enough to cut through the vital organs underneath, no questions asked."

"And you managed to score both kills with a strike force of 59 mph," Geoff reported as he reviewed the high speed footage.

"Very impressive," Mack finished.

"And what do you bring to the table?" Geoff asked looking over to Jerry.

"I bring the cane knife," the weapons expert said presenting his long-bladed melee weapon, "A very common tool found throughout Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It comes with a forward curve in a concave blade as opposed to a convex blade and can actually pull what you are cutting towards the blade, whether it be sugarcane or human flesh. It weighed a little over a pound and a quarter and had a 13 and a half inch steel blade."

"It definitely looks like it can do a lot of damage," Geoff said observing the blade, "We've set up the same test for you. Let's see if you can do any differently."

Jerry nodded and got into position with his knife ready.

"On 3…2…1, take 'em down!" Geoff ordered.

The first target was released and Jerry went for a slash that went lower into the victim's body. The second target was then released and the weapons expert drew back for a more powerful swing that went a little higher.

"Time!" Geoff called out.

Dr. Dorian went over to inspect the damage and checked out the first target, "I'm seeing with your first slash you went into the man's belly, cutting through the skin and muscle, but missing the vital organs. There's gonna be a lot of blood and pain, but no instant kill. With your second guy, you went a little higher and managed to slice in a spot where you would be cutting through softer tissue just beneath his neck. You're going to sever more than one blood vein and are going to score a quicker kill."

"We have one wounded and one instant kill, and you did this with a strike force of 45 mph," Geoff explained.

_We've seen two fierce cutting blades, but where do our experts stand?_

"The kukri has a very unique design that causes the blade to fall on its target faster and with more power. More power equals more trauma, more trauma equals the great probability of a kill, edge kukri," Geoff started out.

"I agree with you there," Dr. Dorian followed, "That forward curve will allow their blade to reach in areas that most blades wouldn't within the first slash, in addition to deeper trauma. My edge goes to the kukri."

"The kukri has a longer blade and the forward curve, in addition to that little known notch which proves to be more effective in keeping the blood off of the user's hands, something you never want happening in an up close skirmish, edge kukri,' Mack finished.

_In short range weapons, the edge goes to the Gurkha and his kukri knife._

_ Coming up, both warriors go for their sidearms in a battle of mid-range firepower and then later, we will see what happens when a fierce mountain mercenary goes up against a dogged guerilla._

XXXXX

_The time has come for both sides to break out their mid-range arsenal and both bring effective guns that can get the job done when needed._

"So what guns do you bring for us today?" Geoff asked looking over to Jerry.

"I bring the Tokarev TT-33," he replied drawing his sidearm, "uses 7.62x25mm Tokarev rounds and has an 8 round detachable box magazine. It's still used by Chinese and North Korean armed forces today, largely thanks to its ruggedness, reliability and readily available cheap ammunition."

Hank scoffed upon hearing the word 'cheap' just as Geoff turned to address him, "And what do you bring to counter?"

"The Webley Revolver," Hank said raising his sidearm, "This was the standard issue service revolver of the armed forces for the United Kingdom, British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations for nearly 80 years. It's a double-action revolver that weighs a little over 2 pounds, uses .38 caliber rounds, has a rate of fire between 20 and 30 rounds per minute and has a 6 round cylinder feed system, not as much, but has the better stopping power of the two."

"Well we're going to find out," Geoff said motioning towards where their latest test had been set up, "We've set up a test to determine the stopping power of each weapon. Your target is a synthetic skull set up in front of a tank filled with ballistic gel," he said gesturing towards the aforementioned skull and the tank behind it, "You get one shot each. Make it count. Jerry, you're first."

Jerry nodded and took his position in front of the skull.

"On 3…2…1, fire!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry squeezed the trigger, firing a round that struck his target right between the eyes.

"We've got an instant kill," Dr. Dorian said poking around the jagged hole left in the synthetic surface before going around to observe the bullet's travel pattern in the ballistic gel.

"Think you can top that?" Geoff asked Hank.

"What kind of question is that?" the weapons expert shot back in cocksure fashion before taking his position, albeit with a new skull and block of ballistics gel set up.

"On 3…2…1, return fire!" Geoff called out.

Hank squeezed the trigger, sending a round through the open cavity where a human's nose would have been, his bullet exploding through the back and tearing into the ballistic gel.

"Wow, you've created a serious nightmare for anybody," Dr. Dorian said observing the hole where the bullet entered, "You would have severed the brain stem with this shot…there just really is nothing else to say," he said before rounding the skull setup to observe the ballistic gel, "and your bullet traveled further than the Tokarev's."

"It appears the Webley has more stopping power, but this is only the first test we've set up," Geoff said motioning towards another range, where three bottles filled with red liquid had been set up in the foreground and in the background there was one static foam target and two more moving back and forth. "Now we will be testing each gun's accuracy against both stationary and moving targets. We want you to target the bottles first and then the torsos. Both of you have a minimum of two reloads. Hank, you're up first this time."

Hank nodded and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, shoot 'em up Hank!" Geoff called out.

Hank raised his gun and fired a single round into the first bottle, sending glass and crimson liquid flying in all directions. Next was the second bottle, him shooting off the neck and sending the contents gushing out like a geyser and then he shot the final bottle.

With the three bottles taken care of, he rushed over to the range where the targets had been set up and fired a round that caught the static target near its right eye before firing his last two rounds into its chest. With his gun emptied, he was forced to reach for his remaining speed loader and slammed it into place before resuming his firing position.

His first round sailed past the first moving target's head, but his second round managed to strike it in the throat and his third struck it in the left pectoral. He then turned his attention to the second moving target and managed to unload his last three rounds into its chest with carefully timed shots.

"You managed to carry this all out in 29 seconds and you managed to hit the three bottles with one shot each," Geoff explained as Dr. Dorian made his way over to inspect the targets.

"With our static target, your first round would be shattering this man's orbital bone and would pulverize an actual human eye. That is an instant kill," the doctor reported before inspecting the other wounds, "Your last two rounds would be penetrating the man's lung and heart respectively, those are both kills, the heart shot being instant."

He then made his way further up the hill towards the two moving targets, "This guy you managed to strike him twice. Your first shot caught him square in the throat, that is an instant kill, and your second shot would be striking a lung, that would be an eventual kill. As for our other guy," he said making his way over to the last moving target, "All three of your shots on him connected and they would be in an area striking his lungs and heart, all kill shots."

"Altogether we have three kills. Jerry, you're gonna have your work cut out for you," Geoff stated.

"Always up for the challenge," Jerry replied before getting into place.

"Alright Jerry, on 3…2…1, open fire!" Geoff called out.

Jerry wasted no time squeezing his trigger, taking down the first bottle with a shot that clipped its neck off and sent crimson liquid gushing out, followed by a round to the dead center of the second bottle and a round to the base of the last bottle, destroying it from the bottom up.

With the bottles dispatched, Jerry made his way over to the shooting range and wasted no time firing his five remaining rounds into the static target. Emptying his spent clip and loading in a fresh he took aim and managed to strike the moving target on the left, four times to be exact, before moving over to the other and unloading his remaining rounds.

"Very impressive, you managed to get this done in 24 seconds, 5 seconds faster than Hank's time," Geoff said reading the stopwatch.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to inspect the foam targets, starting with the static. "Your first bullet tore into this guy's jaw," the doctor said tracing along a deep rend in the material, "that would be an instant kill right there. With your last few shots you managed to get them in a fairly close grouping that will shred his heart and right lung into tiny chunks, all instant kills."

He then moved further up the hill to investigate the two moving targets, starting with the one on the left. "We have all shots managing to connect. Your first shot on this guy would be crippling his arm," he said noting a hole where the bullet would have connected with the victim's shoulder joint, "It won't kill him, but it will render his arm useless and cause him a lot of pain. Your next shot found its way into his throat, instant kill. Your last two shots on this guy hit him in the chest in spots that will cause instant kills."

He then moved onto the last moving target to investigate, "You had four shots that connected on this guy. Here we have another shot taking out a guy's nose, gonna travel through and sever his brain stem. The rest of your shots, again striking him at various areas around his torso, all will be kill shots."

_Both firearms are proven deadly, but where do our experts stand overall?_

"For me, I've gotta go with the Tokarev," Geoff started, "It seems faster and more accurate, plus you've got those two extra shots and the faster reload time, edge Tokarev."

"I have to disagree and give my edge to the Webley," Dr. Dorian countered, "It has the greater stopping power, which is very important in a battle. You want to put your enemy down and make sure he's gonna stay down, edge Webley."

The tiebreaker fell down to Mack.

"I'm gonna have to side with the Tokarev on this one," he seconded, "It has those two additional shots, very crucial in a battle. Plus, it has that faster reload time, which is another deeply crucial factor in a battle. The fight will continue based upon who can get their gun loaded faster and who can raise it to continue the battle. When you piss through your ammo quicker you are setting yourself up for failure, edge Tokarev."

_In mid-range weapons, the Viet Cong take the edge with the Tokarev TT-33._

_ Coming up, a submachine gun goes against a punishing light machinegun in a battle of the long range weapons._

XXXXX

_Now the time has come for both warriors to unleash death from afar with their long range arsenals._

"For the first time ever we will be profiling fully automatic assault weapons and I would like to see what both of you bring to the table, starting with you Jerry," Geoff said looking over to Jerry.

"I bring the MAT-49," he said showing off the French-built submachine gun, "It is a blowback gun that can fire 600 rounds a minute and uses a 32 round magazine. It first saw action in the First Indochina War, where a number of these weapons would soon be captured by the Vietnamese. It's lightweight and compact at only around 7 pounds when empty and at 9 when loaded, ideal for mobile forces."

"And how about you Hank?" Geoff asked turning his attention to the other weapons expert.

"I bring the Bren light machine gun," Hank said raising his own weapon, "It was first introduced in the late 30's and served as the primary light machinegun for the British and Commonwealth forces during World War II, yet has been used as late as Operation Desert Storm. It had an effective range of 600 yards, a rate of fire at 500 rounds a minute, a 30 round capacity and it comes with a handle on the side so it can be fired from a standing position."

"But I notice that it looks like a pretty heavy weapon, something that looks like it would really weigh you down in combat when you've gotta run from location to location at breakneck speed, a case where you really don't want to be weighed down," Jerry commented.

"Indeed, the Bren weighs in at 23 pounds, but when you are an expertly trained soldier like the Gurkha it doesn't matter. They have superior leg strength thanks to their rigorous training in the mountains of Nepal, this would probably be like carrying a BB gun to them," Hank responded.

"Well we're going to find out once the test has concluded," Geoff said motioning behind them, "We've set up three entrenched enemies behind cover at 100, 50 and 25 yards, one hidden behind a degradable surface. This test is aimed at studying your volume of fire, ability to get through degradable surfaces, accuracy and maneuverability. All these targets are filled with the explosive Tannerite, so we will know when you have scored the instant kill shot and that will be your signal to move onto the next target. Jerry will be up first, so we need you to get into position."

Jerry nodded and knelt down behind some wooden crates.

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff asked.

"Ready to tear 'em apart!" Jerry shouted back.

"Alright, on 3…2…1, give 'em hell!" Geoff called out.

Jerry rose to his feet and let loose upon his first target, the foam torso exploding when the bullets finally found their vital strike.

Quickly pushing his way back to his feet, he rushed over and took cover behind a pair of oil drums and let loose on a target that had just its head and shoulder sticking out from behind a cinderblock wall. It took him some time, but he managed to eventually shoot the head off before taking out the rest of his clip on the wall, chipping away at the blocks and moving a few, but not managing to do much damage.

Reloading his next clip, he rushed over and took a position behind the shot up wall, taking aim and firing away until he connected with the last target's chest and caused the finishing explosion.

"Time!" Geoff called out before looking down to his stopwatch, "58 seconds!"

"Three instant kills," Dr. Dorian reported spying the mangled targets from a distance, "In spite of the explosives inside, I saw that you managed to score several vital hits that could shred a man's internal organs," he reported as he reviewed the slow motion footage on a laptop.

"From what I also saw while watching you in action, you seemed to move pretty fast, yet your gun had trouble getting past the cinderblock wall," Mack reported while checking over the block wall, "Sure, you killed the guy you can see, but how could you be certain there isn't someone else lying in wait behind?"

"It might lack the stopping power of a bigger gun, but it still has the speed to make up for it and it's easier to shoot from the hip with, no pesky sling to get in the way," Jerry said looking over to Hank's Bren.

"Well in the end it's the gun that's more likely to kill your enemy that wins the day," Hank retorted.

"And you're going to prove it. You're up Hank," Geoff said.

Hank nodded and got into a prone position in a small clearing surrounded by camouflaging.

"Hank, are you ready?" Geoff shouted.

"Hell yeah!" Hank roared back.

"On 3…2…1, shoot 'em up!" Geoff called.

Hank squeezed the trigger, but almost instantly his gun jammed.

"That's not looking good," Mack whispered to Geoff and Dr. Dorian, while Jerry shook his head.

Fortunately for Hank, it didn't take him long to clear the jam and he was back to firing, quickly hitting the first target in the dead center, blowing it to pieces.

With his first target dispatched, Hank rushed over and took cover behind the oil drums, getting into a kneeling position and quickly blowing the second target's head to pieces. He didn't stop there as he let loose on the cinderblock wall, punching his way through with greater damage than the MAT-49 was able to inflict.

Ejecting his emptied clip, he quickly reloaded and dashed for cover behind the decimated wall, taking aim and firing away at the last target until it exploded.

"Time!" Geoff shouted and looked down to his stopwatch, "In spite of the jam, you managed to accomplish this in 53 seconds. Good job!"

"First things first, there is the elephant in the room," Mack said motioning towards the Bren, "You had that jam up. Granted, you managed to clear it relatively fast, yet you always have to keep in mind that its malfunctions like that which can be a matter of life or death in the battlefield."

He then turned his attention to the decimated brick wall, "Yet I do see this gun possesses significantly greater stopping power than the MAT-49."

"Indeed, one of the purposes of this test was to see how well this gun would do at taking down degradable cover and you've torn this wall apart. If there's another man hiding behind here, you've killed him," Geoff explained.

"Overall, you've proven that in the hands of a capable operator, the Bren is capable of having effective and accurate fire," Mack finished.

_Both weapons have proven their deadly potential, but where do our panelists stand?_

"I wanted to like the Bren because it seemed like the deadlier of the two weapons, but when I look at it this is what I see right away," Geoff said reviewing the slow motion footage on a laptop, "Right away I take notice of the wobbling sight and the magazine and I also noticed how when Hank held it close, he had to constantly adjust where his cheek rested as he took aim. My edge goes to the MAT-49."

"I agree with you that there are inherent functionality issues that could cause the weapons system to go offline," Mack seconded, "Granted it does possess the greater stopping power of the two and to an extent can possess the greater accuracy based upon its user's skill level. My edge goes to the MAT-49 for its lighter weight, lesser recoil, mechanical reliability and faster rate of fire."

"I also noticed the recoil factor with the Bren," Dr. Dorian added, "That's going to hurt the user's shoulder and cause the onset of fatigue to set in much earlier than one would like, which is also where the weight factor comes into play. This gun weighs 23 pounds, no matter how well-conditioned you are, that's gonna hit you a lot sooner compared to something lighter. Even if it does possess the superior range and stopping power, these issues cannot be ignored, along with the functionality issues Mack pointed out. Edge, MAT-49."

_In long range weapons, the Viet Cong take the edge with their MAT-49 submachine gun._

_ Coming up, things heat up when both sides pull out their signature explosives. Later on, we will see what happens when these two fearless warriors finally go head to head._

XXXXX

_The time has come for both sides to dish out their explosives and we will see what happens when a prominent hand grenade goes up against a deadly anti-personnel fragmentation mine._

"Alright Hank, what do you bring for us this time?" Geoff asked as Hank walked up wearing a line of grenades strapped to his uniform.

"This is the Mills Bomb," he said unhooking one of the grenades, "These were the first modern fragmentation grenades in the world. They are variations which can be tossed like a typical hand grenade, or fired from a rifle. They come filled with Baratol and have a 4 second fuse."

"To test its lethality, we've set up an enclosed area with 3 pigs hanging inside. I think you know what you have to do next," Geoff said patting Hank on the shoulder.

Hank nodded and got into position.

"Alright Hank, on the count of 3 it's bombs away. 1…2…3!" Geoff shouted.

Hank pulled the pin and tossed the grenade into the enclosed space before running back to join the group behind their Plexiglas shielding.

A brilliant explosion followed as the enclosed space's walls were rocked violently by the blast and the pig carcasses swaying in the following breeze.

Dr. Dorian went over to assess the damage, "Anybody ready for some B.L.T.s?"

He then began feeling around the torn apart carcasses, "These guys are riddled with shrapnel. There is no way in hell they would have survived this. Altogether you have 3 instant kills."

"A Viet Cong would see that coming from a mile away. They would be able to duck for cover," Jerry rebutted, "My weapon would be one there is no running from, one you wouldn't see until you were literally on top of it."

"And what do you bring to counter Jerry?" Geoff asked.

Jerry motioned to a nearby table where a grenade-like explosive mounted to a wooden stake rested. Nearby another grenade rested.

"I give you the POMZ-2 mine and the F1 grenade," he said carefully lifting both to show off, "The dense undergrowth of the Vietnam jungles was ideal placement for this weapon as the tripwire would be nearly impossible to see. In the event of a mine being discovered, the Viet Cong would often rig it to an F1 grenade, so that when the POMZ-2 was discovered it would detonate the grenade. The charge was a 75G rod of cast TNT and its fuse was an MUV series tripwire."

"To test this explosive device, we've set up a pig carcass to stand in for an unsuspecting soldier," Geoff said motioning to the aforementioned pig, "Following actual Viet Cong tactics, we've place it beneath a bag of rice, which was a common disguise. Jerry, the stage is yours."

Jerry nodded and proceeded to set up the explosive device while the group took cover behind a Plexiglas shield. When everything was in motion he joined them behind the glass and grabbed the tripwire.

"High speed is up. Whenever you are ready, let it rip," Geoff said to Jerry.

Jerry nodded and pulled the tripwire, setting off another explosion that forced the crew to temporarily divert their eyes. When the smoke cleared they looked ahead to find a few shredded strips of the pig's flesh, but it was when they looked behind them they got their surprise.

"Holy sh-t," Mack and Geoff cried in unison.

The bottom half of the pig's body had been flung all the way behind their station and they watched the slow motion replay of the pig's upper half being vaporized while its lower half flew through the air.

"Oh my god, this is unlike anything I've ever seen," Dr. Dorian said kneeling over the butchered remains, "This is twice the damage I witnessed with the Mills Bomb."

_Both explosive devices have their devastating results, but where do our panelists stand?_

"For me, it's the POMZ-2 and grenade combination all the way," Geoff started, "You get double your bang with its increased payload and its anti-handling nature. No question about it, POMZ-2 all the way."

"I agree with you on this one," Mack seconded, "The Mills Bomb is something an enemy will see coming at them and thus they'll have that four second window to run away, whereas the POMZ-2/F1 grenade combo has that element of surprise and an instantaneous detonation, edge POMZ-2."

"You also talk about seeing it coming at them and I will also point out that it has a very baseball-like shape to it, meaning that it's not always going to roll where you want it to," Geoff added before looking over to Dr. Dorian.

"The POMZ-2 not only does that kill right away with its doubled explosive payload, but you also have to take into consideration the psychological effect of dealing with a weapon that you don't know is there. It's gonna make your enemies paranoid of the environment around them, literally every step they take could be their last. A paranoid enemy is going to make all sorts of rash decisions that will endanger both themselves and their colleagues, edge POMZ-2," the doctor finished.

_In explosive weapons, the Viet Cong takes the edge with their POMZ-2/F1 grenade combination._

_ Coming up, both warriors show off special weapons displaying the X-factors which made them the feared warriors they became._

_ Then after that, we will finally have a face to face showdown to determine once and for all, who is 'The Deadliest Warrior?'_

XXXXX

_Welcome back to the Fight Club. The time has come for both warriors to show off two very different weapons emphasizing two polar opposites in terms of warfare, an X-factor that separates him from his opponent, one that cannot be measured by a computer simulation alone._

"The Viet Cong lacked the advanced weaponry of their foreign challengers, so they were forced to improvise with what little resources they had at their disposal. They had to have ingenuity and they had to be devious about it and one of their most common tactics was the usage of booby traps," Jerry explained.

"And how will you be showing us this 'devious ingenuity?'" Mack inquired.

Jerry motioned towards an area where a pig carcass was suspended over a pit of spikes.

"Punji sticks were sharpened bamboo branches of varying sizes that would often be smeared with human feces to spread infection throughout the wounds," Jerry explained.

"So that explains why it smelled like sh-t in here," Hank said plugging his nose.

"They would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. They could be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush, any materials the V.C. could get their hands on. All the unsuspecting soldier would have to do is step on the brittle cover and it would be lots of pain from there," Jerry finished.

"Well you're going to show us how deadly this can be. When I give the signal, you're going to pull the lever and the pig is going to fall," Geoff stated, while Jerry nodded.

"On 3…2…1, release the pig!" Geoff ordered.

Jerry pulled the lever and the pig carcass fell onto the spikes with a sickening _'thuk.'_

"Ooh, I knew this was going to be nasty, but goddamn," Mack grimaced.

Dr. Dorian carefully lifted the pig off the spikes and began checking around the numerous holes left in its back, "From what I'm seeing there are numerous wounds and a possible punctured lung. This guy's gonna be in a lot of pain, but no kill unless he's left to bleed to death."

"Not all booby traps were designed to be lethal, but were meant to seriously injure or permanently cripple soldiers," Jerry explained, "They knew U.S. troops would waste time and resources carrying the injured back to a hospital and waste money trying to revive them."

"Booby traps accounted for 10 percent of U.S. casualties during the Vietnam War and even for those who survived, they were left with permanent physical and psychological scarring. Again, this would play into the aspect of psychological warfare," Dr. Dorian finished.

"Then again, you didn't always have to walk over these traps in order to trigger them," Jerry motioned to another part of the Fight Club, where another punji trap was set up.

"In addition to the pits, there were punji traps that could be activated by tripwires, a common one being the spike ball," Jerry said motioning to the suspended ball of mud with several spikes protruding to make it look like one huge morning star.

Pulling on another tripwire, the spiked ball was released and it swung forward, colliding with a ballistic gel torso that had been set up, sending the torso falling to the floor with a loud crack that split the back of its head open.

Dr. Dorian knelt down to examine the damage, "I'm seeing that numerous areas of penetration. These spikes went deep enough to hit the vital organs, this would be a kill. I also take into account the trauma as the head connected with the floor," he said lifting it up to reveal the fake brains inside leaking out, "This injury alone could also kill."

"These are just stationary traps you have there," Hank cut in, "There is no definite guarantee all your enemies will happen across those traps."

"And what do you bring to counter this deadly trap?" Geoff asked.

"Regardless of their size whether it be the physical stature of the warrior himself or the size of his unit, the Gurkha has never backed down from a fight. History is a testament to that when only 12,000 Gurkhas were pitted against 20,000 British troops during the Anglo-Nepal War nearly 200 years ago. They were outmanned and outgunned almost 2 to 1, yet they refused to back down and as a result, they forced a stalemate. Their bravery and precision so greatly impressed British officers that a treaty would soon be drawn up, enabling them to be recruited as mercenaries.

"In addition to their fearless kukri charges, another trademark of theirs would soon become their skills as marksmen and it is here I bring to you the Enfield No. 4 Rifle, the fastest bolt-action military rifle of its day," Hank said raising his rifle for all to see, "It was 44.5 inches long, weighed 8.75 pounds, had a 10 round capacity and an effective range of 550 yards."

"Well we've set up a test for this rifle where you are out on patrol and come into contact with the enemy," Geoff said motioning to a range where 3 moving targets were suspended from zip lines, "First you will fire 10 rounds at 3 moving targets 50 yards out, the average range of a typical World War II firefight. Once that is complete, you will crawl along the ground and fire 10 more rounds from a prone position at 2 static targets 35 yards downrange," he finished, motioning to the last two stationary targets.

"Well, let's do it," Hank nodded and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, we have contact! Go!" Geoff shouted.

Hank rushed forth and took a kneeling position behind a sandbag barrier, quickly squeezing the trigger. His first two shots missed, but his third shot connected with the dead center of his first target's chest. He continued firing away, his fourth shot missing, but his fifth managing to strike a second target in the throat and firing again to deliver another center mass shot to the chest of his third moving target. He continued firing away until he managed to score a few more hits and then knelt down to reload his rifle. With the Enfield reloaded, he crawled along the makeshift undergrowth on his belly until he got to the next spot and took a prone position.

His sights lined up, he squeezed the trigger and instantly caught the first static target in the dead center of its head and then another shot scoring a hit just below his second target's left eye. He squeezed the trigger again and again, missing a few shots, but scoring a few more vital hits before he expended his last bullet and called out "Done!"

"2:07 is the time it took you to complete this. Good job!" Geoff called back.

Dr. Dorian went over to investigate 3 targets now covered in fake blood, "This first guy, you've completely destroyed his sternum and this guy here, you've given him a literal tracheotomy. Altogether you managed to score instant kill shots that are going to drop all three of these men."

He then made his way over to the static targets, "With these two guys, your first two shots managed to score instant kills on both of them," he said motioning to the hole in the first target's forehead and the other beneath the second's left eye. Everything else is going to kill. Altogether you have five kills."

"Keeping close track of the high speed footage, you managed to score 13 hits out of 20 shots, very impressive showing," Geoff reported.

"A Gurkha wouldn't sit around setting up booby traps. They would be out to track down their opponent and bring the pain," Hank nodded confidently.

_Both special weapons do well to show off the respective X-factors of their respective warriors, but where do our panelists stand?_

"For me it's a hard decision because both weapons show off what their warrior could do best, but if I'm forced to take sides I'm gonna have to go with the Enfield," Geoff started, "It's reliable, it has range, it has accuracy and it reloads fast, edge Enfield."

"I have to disagree and I'm gonna give it to the punji spike trap," Dr. Dorian countered, "Granted, it likely won't cause instant death unless the combatant falls face first onto it, but it will mangle and it really adds to the psychological damage when others see it occurring."

Once again things would fall down to Mack for a tiebreaker.

"I'm gonna have to disagree and give it to the Enfield," he seconded, "The Enfield brings the pain. It's not some stationary trap that waits for someone to fall in or activate a tripwire to be effective. My edge goes to the Enfield."

_For special weapons, the Gurkha takes the edge with the Enfield No. 4 Rifle._

_Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, it's a 5-on-5 squad battle for supremacy to determine who is 'The Deadliest Warrior.'_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"First up is training. The Gurkhas come from the high mountains of Nepal and undergo extensive training to separate the weak from the strong, whereas the Viet Cong placed a lot of reliance upon their booby traps. We gave them an 87 to the Viet Cong's 68."

"Up next is physicality and once again the Gurkha takes it. Despite being small warriors, they are physiologically strong and less susceptible to fatigue due to the high altitudes of the Himalayas in which they are born and train in during their early lives. The deep climbing they are forced to undergo will strengthen their legs and their dependence on oxygen will be lessened after generations of exposure to the thin mountain air. We gave them a 91 to the Viet Cong's 80."

"Operational experience is another factor and once again we gave it to the Gurkha. They have been all over the world fighting for the British Empire, whereas the Viet Cong were mostly confined to the jungles of their native Vietnam. We gave them an 85 to the Viet Cong's 78."

"Psychological warfare is another factor to be taken into consideration and here the Viet Cong take it. They relied upon booby traps to compensate for their lack of advanced weaponry and training and in doing so, they made their enemies paranoid, they did irreparable mental and emotional damage still felt to this day. We gave them an 89 to the Gurkha's 85."

"Terrain familiarity is also another factor we will cover for the very first time and have established that this battle will take place in the jungles of Vietnam. Although Gurkhas have been trained to be effective in numerous different types of locales, here the Viet Cong are fighting on their home turf and here they have knowledge of where the booby traps are set up, where the tunnels are they can escape through if they have to, and so forth. We gave them an 88 to the Gurkha's 78."

"Lastly, there is audacity. Both these men are fanatically devoted to their respective causes and are not afraid to give their lives for their cause if they have to. We rated them even with an 88 each."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win a battle between two fierce warriors who show no fear of death?_

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said throwing the switch.

XXXXX

It was yet another sweltering day in the Vietnamese jungle, yet it was nothing to the 5 Viet Cong agents who had lived there their entire lives. They were congregated in a small camp set up in the middle of the dense jungle, a rare respite from all the fighting they had been doing against the invaders.

**Viet Cong: 5**

Unbeknownst to them, 5 Gurkhas on loan to the United States government crept nearby, preparing for an ambush, their leader pulling out a pair of binoculars to observe the goings on. There were 5 Viet Cong agents altogether and tied to a stake in the center of the camp was one of their own, his lifeless body riddled with bullets. Turning to face his brothers-in-arms, they could tell by the grim look on his face that the news wasn't good. Nevertheless, they had a job to do and proceeded forth.

**Gurkhas: 5**

The Viet Cong were unaware of the mercenaries encroaching upon their position, the sentry being relieved of guard duty by a colleague as a nearby Gurkha pulled out a pair of wire snips and cut a hole through the barbed wire fence erected around the small encampment. One by one the Gurkhas made their way through the opening and slowly filtered in.

Taking up a position behind a sandbag wall, a Gurkha gets into position and raises his Lee-Enfield No. 4, taking aim and squeezing the trigger. His shot shatters the tranquility as the Viet Cong sentry falls over with a bullet to the chest.

**Gurkhas: 5 – Viet Cong: 4**

Alerted by the shot, the remaining Viet Cong gather their weapons and scrambled for defensive positions, firing away with their MAT-49s while the Gurkhas returned fire with their Lee-Enfields and one with a Bren light machinegun.

Gunfire flies back and forth, debris filling the air as the straw huts were torn apart by the automatic rounds and numerous other objects were shattered in the chaos. A rifle-toting Gurkha realizes his position was beginning to crumble and he attempted to flee for better cover, only to be cut down in the crossfire by rounds from a V.C. agent's MAT-49.

**Gurkhas: 4 – Viet Cong: 4**

Eventually the tide begins to turn and the Gurkhas begin forcing their way further into the camp as several of the V.C. agents are forced to reload their submachine guns, one of them attempting to take cover in a hut and readying himself to ambush their invaders.

Unknown to him, one of the Gurkhas was on to him and crept up to the hut, unhooking one of his Mills-manufactured fragmentation grenades and tossing it through an opened window, the following explosion decimating the hut and the V.C. agent within.

**Gurkhas: 4 – Viet Cong: 3**

The Viet Cong's campsite had been compromised and they knew they were going to have to retreat for one of the nearby tunnels, grabbing up their sidearms and a few cane knifes before making their way out, barely avoiding the Bren's flurry as they fled.

The Gurkha scout called for his colleagues to follow and he ran after the fleeing guerillas while firing a few shots from his Lee-Enfield. Watching as one of the black-clad agents disappeared around a corner, he quickly chased after the man, only to step on an area covered in undergrowth and fall face first into a punji spike pit.

**Gurkhas: 3 – Viet Cong: 3**

The deceased Gurkha's colleagues arrived to find their comrade having bled out from his numerous injuries, only able to brief mourn their fallen brother as more gunfire rang out.

The remaining three Viet Cong operatives attempted to take advantage of the distraction, but the Gurkhas had been quick and scrambled for cover, again exchanging gunfire with the local guerillas. The fracas would continue until the Gurkha machine gunner finally managed to drop another V.C. agent, his Bren jamming soon after.

**Gurkhas: 3 – Viet Cong: 2**

Throwing down his emptied MAT-49, a V.C. cell's leader drew his Tokarev TT-33 sidearm and fired upon the distracted gunner, only managing to graze the man.

Grunting in anger, the Gurkha discarded his jammed machinegun and withdrew his Webley revolver while his colleagues pressed forth and forced their adversaries to flee further into the jungle.

The two surviving V.C. agents rushed along a crude trail and came to a small river, both of them leaping before entering the ankle-deep water. Their pursuers were hot on their tail, the two riflemen firing away with their Lee-Enfields. The Gurkha at the front of the pack attempted to run and reload his rifle at the same time, too distracted to notice the tripwire his boot soon made contact with, activating the hidden POMZ-2 mine that soon blew him to bits.

**Gurkhas: 2 – Viet Cong: 2**

There was no time to mourn their latest casualty and they continued their pursuit of their enemies, one which would continue across a small bridge, where the V.C. agents again attempted to ambush them and more gunfire was exchanged, the wounded Gurkha raising his Webley and taking down another guerilla with two shots to the chest as his MAT-49 ran out of ammo.

**Gurkhas: 2 – Viet Cong: 1**

The Viet Cong leader remained undeterred by the loss of his men and raised his gun to fire upon the two Nepalese mercenaries before he clicked empty and retreated further into the undergrowth.

Looking over to his wounded colleague, the Gurkha leader gestured for him to split up so they could cover more ground and they both disappeared further into the tight wooded area.

The wounded Gurkha made sure his Webley was fully loaded as he stalked along a narrow opening that barely left enough room for him to move. He listened carefully for anything out of the ordinary, continuing about until he found an empty clip lying in the dirt. A twig snapped behind him and he turned to confront his prey, but it was too late and he found the blade of a cane knife driven into his throat.

**Gurkhas: 1 – Viet Cong: 1**

The lead Gurkha had witnessed the spectacle from afar and charged angrily towards the Viet Cong leader, raising his own Webley and squeezing off all six rounds, but the Vietnamese guerilla had ducked low to the ground and the bullets impacted with the bamboo stalks obscuring him. Still charging at breakneck speed, the Nepalese mercenary threw down his empty revolver and drew his kukri, raising it high and going for a slash directed at his enemy's throat, but the rebel was quicker and ducked, the curved knife cutting through the stalk.

The Viet Cong leader pushed himself back to his feet and attempted to swing the cane knife into his opponent's side, but the mercenary was quicker and leapt back to dodge the swipe. The Nepalese warrior went for another swipe, but was again evaded and the Viet Cong leader would draw first blood with a backhanded slash that left the Gurkha with a cut across his cheek and left him stumbling backward.

The V.C. agent then leapt forward with a slash of his own, but now it was the Gurkha's turn to sidestep and the blade became stuck in a nearby tree. As the guerilla struggled to free his knife, the Nepalese merc leapt in and delivered two rapid fire diagonal slashes to his back before delivering a kick which inadvertently freed the cane knife.

Out of desperation, the V.C. leader attempted a 180 degree swing with his knife, but the Gurkha ducked and slashed his blade across the guerilla's stomach. With his opponent reeling from the attack, he shot his blade upward and slashed the Vietnamese rebel across his face and then delivered another kick hard enough to demolish the man's kneecap.

With his opponent down on his knees and screaming in pain, the Gurkha grabbed the guerilla and drew his blade across the man's throat.

**Gurkhas: 1 – Viet Cong: 0**

Victorious, the Gurkha raised his bloodied kukri into the air and shouted "AYO GURKHALI!"

XXXXX

Winner: Gurkha

Gurkha:

Kukri: 54

Webley Revolver: 42

Bren Light Machinegun: 186

Enfield No. 4 Rifle: 310

Mills Bomb: 36

Total: 628

Viet Cong:

Cane Knife: 8

Tokarev TT-33: 20

MAT-49: 177

Punji Spike Trap: 86

POMZ-2 Mine w/F1 Grenade: 81

Total: 372

_In what turned out to be a relatively lopsided battle, the Gurkha emerged victorious with 628 wins compared to the Viet Cong's 372. The Enfield No. 4 Rifle proved to be the Gurkha's deadliest weapon with 310 kills and trailing not too far behind was the Bren Light Machinegun with 186 kills in spite of its functionality issues. The Viet Cong's deadliest weapon was his MAT-49 with 177 kills, yet it wasn't enough to overcome the Gurkha's superior arsenal._

"In the end the Gurkha's dominance in the X-factors proved to overcome the perceived weaknesses within his arsenal," Geoff explained, "It came down to training, physicality, operational experience and his overall fearlessness which allowed him to once again overcome the odds and prove that he was indeed 'The Deadliest Warrior.'"

(The victorious Gurkha emerges from the jungle and makes his way over to a nearby river, where a U.S. Navy-owned swift boat is waiting to take him back to the base.)

XXXXX

_Next time on 'Deadliest Warrior,' it's a battle of two influential strategists in a first time ever battle between two ancient generals_

Alexander the Great: The warrior king whose brutal tactics led to the fall of the Persian Empire…

Vs.

Hannibal: The Carthaginian general who terrorized the Roman Empire with an entire army of elephants.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

XXXXX

Author's Note: Well that's it until next time. I figured by this point I owed you a battle incorporating some truly modernized fully automatic weapons before I delved back into the world of ancient combat as I will be doing in the next episode.

Until then, read and review as always! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	10. Alexander the Great vs Hannibal Barca

Alexander the Great: The Macedonian king who ruled Greece and conquered every land he fought in…

(Alexander is shown cutting down several Persian warriors with his Kopis as his men fight on in the background.)

Vs.

Hannibal: The master general and tactician who gave the mighty Roman Empire cause to shudder.

(Hannibal rides atop an elephant as his troops charge head on towards an amassed Roman army.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Alexander the Great

Circa: 333 B.C.

Age: 23

Height: 5' 7"

Weight: 155 lbs.

Armor:

Chalcidian Helmet

Bronze Cuirass

Bronze Shield

Hannibal Barca

Circa: 218 B.C.

Age: 29

Height: 5' 7"

Weight: 155 lbs.

Armor:

Bronze Montefortino Helmet

Bronze Musculata

Caetra Shield

"In a first on 'Deadliest Warrior' we have two of the most influential generals of the ancient world going head to head," Richard "Mack" Machowicz explained, "These men were among the best tactical minds of their day and they used them to the greatest effect when they took on two very powerful empires."

"I'm going with Alexander the Great on this one," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin started, "He conquered everyone who stood in his path, whereas Hannibal failed to complete his ultimate mission, the annihilation of the Roman Empire."

"I'm going with Hannibal on this one," Dr. Dorian countered, "He taught the mighty Romans the meaning of fear and yet at the same time, he became such a worthy adversary they erected statues of him in the streets of Rome, which right there says he has to be a force to be reckoned with."

_Born to Philip II of Macedon in 356 B.C. and tutored by the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle, Alexander succeeded his father at the age of 20 and would spend the next 13 years creating the largest empire the world had seen up until that time, which included modern Greece and Egypt, the former Persian Empire, and the westernmost portions of India._

"He wanted to be the greatest conqueror the world had ever seen," Mack started, "He was so effective because he was a brilliant strategist who when faced with opponents who used unfamiliar fighting techniques, he would find ways to adapt his forces to his opponent's style, whether it was using javelin throwers and archers to prevent outflanking movements while massing his cavalry at the center, or having his men form a U-shape so that enemy chariots would become trapped by the bodies of the soldiers they killed, thus leaving them to the mercy of the Macedonian xystons."

_Constantly outnumbered, it was his usage of terrain, phalanx and cavalry tactics, bold strategies and the fierce loyalty of his troops that enabled him to prevail in crucial campaigns._

"He was never defeated in battle and managed to create the largest empire the world had ever seen. He personally led his troops into battle and fought with an unparalleled vigor, thus he truly earned his epithet 'the Great,'" Mack finished.

_Alexander brings an assortment of murdering weapons aimed at furthering his conquest in his newest battle:_

Short Range: Kopis

Mid-Range: Xyston

Long Range: Gastraphetes

Special Weapon: Ballista

_Today he goes up against a mighty general whose tactical genius rivals that of his own, possessing an audacity which enabled him to teach the most powerful empire of his day the meaning of fear._

_ Born in 247 B.C. to the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, young Hannibal would find himself appointed commander-in-chief of the Carthaginian army following his father's death in battle and his brother-in-law Hasdrubal's assassination. Having sworn an eternal hatred to the Romans as a child, he immediately continued where his father had left off._

"In every battle he fought, he was usually outnumbered two to one, he needed to outwit his enemies," Mack stated, "He had an ability to determine his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and how to play the battle to his strengths and to his enemy's weaknesses, leading to him winning dramatic victories at Trebia, Trasimene and Cannae."

_The highlight of Hannibal's military career came during the Second Punic War, when in 218 B.C. he led a force of 38,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry and 37 war elephants through the Alps with the intention of invading Italy from the north. Although half of his men and most of his elephants would perish from the journey, he would go on to win a series of important battles against the Romans and would occupy much of the peninsula for the following 15 years._

"In spite of not defeating the Roman Empire, he would go on to become one of the most celebrated generals in military history, 'the father of military strategy' as historians would come to call him because even his greatest enemy would go on to adopt his tactics. The Romans greatly feared his genius and in the centuries to follow, would regard him as the greatest enemy they had ever faced," Mack concluded.

_The ambitious general came equipped with a bone crushing assortment of weapons:_

Short Range: Falcata

Mid-Range: Sarissa

Long Range: Soliferrum

Special Weapon: War Elephant

_Both generals personally led their men into battle and both utilized swords of a similar design._

"The Kopis was a favorite of the Greeks on horseback," weapons maker Dave Baker started, "It was a one-handed, single-edged sword with a forward-curving blade made of iron that measured 26 inches long and weighed 2 pounds."

Jerry rode up to the outdoor range on horseback with the kopis in hand.

"Alright Jerry, we've set up a test to determine this weapon's capabilities both on horseback and on foot," Geoff said motioning to the course that had been set up, the centerpiece being a tower with a slow moving propeller at the top, two meat slabs suspended from opposite ends, "As you can see in the center we have two moving targets, both slabs of cattle meat that are two to three times thicker than human ribs. You will ride past and attack and then make your way over to the next setup," he said motioning to where two human skulls sat atop slabs of meat. "For phase two we've set up two more slabs of meat that will mimic the density of a human neck, and then it's onto the last leg," he said motioning towards an armored ballistic gel torso, "Once you've completed those tests, you will then dismount and attack the torso we've set up here, which has been outfitted in the same kind of armor worn by Hannibal. We want you to deliver 3 strikes, one to the torso, one to the shield and one to the helmet."

Jerry nodded and got into position.

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Ready!" the weapons expert shouted back.

"Then on 3…2…1, charge!"

Jerry willed his horse onward and charged towards the first bovine slab, shooting his sword out with a _'thuk' _before rounding the tower and riding over to slash into the second target. With his first two targets accounted for, he ordered his horse towards the two neck targets, shooting his blade out and lopping into the first, sending it clattering to the ground and breaking the skull that once rested atop before making his way over to the second and delivering another thick chop.

Dismounting his horse, Jerry charged towards the ballistic gel target and shot his blade into its armored torso, only managing to dent it. He then raised his blade and struck the target on top of its helmeted head before shooting his blade out one final time and striking its caetra shield, yet inflicting no significant damage other than a dent.

"Time!" Geoff called before looking down to his stopwatch, "You accomplished this in 28.75 seconds."

Dr. Dorian started with the suspended bovine slabs, "Alright, I'm seeing here that you failed to penetrate the cattle ribs on both slabs. At the most you will have managed to inflict a collapsed lung. No kill for either."

He then made his way over to the 'necks' to examine, "Your first 'neck' you've managed to completely decapitate this guy and with your second you managed to cut through the spinal cord, two kills."

He then made his way over to examine the armored torso, "With your torso shot I'm only seeing a large scratch and a small hole, not going to be enough to do any significant damage underneath," he said before moving to the shield, "Again with the shield, no serious damage done and you didn't generate enough psi to break any bones underneath," he said before moving to the helmet, "Now here is where things should be a little different," he said removing it to examine the shock patch underneath, "Nope, not enough psi to do any significant damage. At the most you've probably just stunned this guy."

"So we have two injuries, two surefire kills and one guy stunned," Geoff concluded.

"I'm just seeing a whole lot of slashing there," Hank remarked, "My weapon has a blade that distributes its weight so it can have the momentum of an axe while maintaining the versatility of the sword.

_Hannibal slashes back with the falcata._

"The Iberian falcata was crafted from high carbon Spanish steel," Dave explained, "It had a forward curved blade with a single cutting edge on its concave side. Its blade widens near the tip and narrows in the middle. It was also designed with a hook-shaped hilt to prevent the sword from flying out of the user's hand in the heat of battle. It was 28 inches long and weighed 5 pounds."

Hank now rode up on his own horse with the falcata in hand.

"Alright Hank, it's going to be the same drill for you. See if you can beat Jerry's time and his number of kills," Geoff said motioning to the course and then to a ballistic gel torso wearing the armor of Alexander the Great.

"You got it," Hank said riding over and getting into position.

"Hank are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Yeah!" the weapons expert shouted back.

"On 3…2…1! Let's ride!"

Hank willed his horse onward and charged towards the first moving slab, shooting his sword out and connecting before moving on to the second target and repeating the process. With the two moving targets dealt with, he ordered his horse to move towards the two neck targets, shooting his blade out and slicing deep into the first 'neck' before making his way over and slicing through the second one.

Dismounting his horse, Hank charged for the armored torso and shot his blade into its midsection, managing to leave a larger dent than the kopis and then to the top of the helmet, nearly the same results as the earlier test, and lastly to the shield, leaving only a dent.

"Time!" Geoff called out before looking down to his stopwatch. "You accomplished this in 34.5 seconds."

Dr. Dorian made his way over to the bovine slabs to start his examination, "Once again I am only seeing lacerations that can easily be stitched up, nothing more than a collapsed lung and not enough penetration to kill your enemy.

He then made his way over to the 'necks' to assess their damage, "Your first neck target you've managed to cut through this man's cervical muscles and your second shot is a complete decapitation, these are both kills."

The doctor then made his way over to assess the damage to the armored torso, "With the cuirass I'm seeing denting and the shield holds well also, not enough force to break any bones behind it. Again with the helmet I'm seeing a noticeable dent and…" Dr. Dorian said before carefully removing the Chalcidian helmet, "The shock patch is tripped, enough force to cause a concussion."

"So slightly more effective than the kopis test, but not by much" Geoff concluded, "Altogether you have two kills, two injuries and one guy concussed."

_Both swords have shown to have their strengths and weaknesses, but where do our panelists stand?_

"This is a very close matchup for me," Geoff started out, "They both have very similar designs with their forward curves. Both were also popular cavalry weapons, yet seemed to struggle against each respective warrior's armor. This is too close to call for me, so I'm gonna call it even."

"Indeed both weapons struggled against each other's armor and when pitted against the bovine targets, they were both only capable of inflicting lacerations from that distance, yet they showed no difficulty at all against the 'neck' targets. I can see where you're coming from on this and I'm gonna call it even," Dr. Dorian seconded.

"I'm gonna have to agree with both of you on this one," Mack followed, "They seem to be the same in terms of strengths and weaknesses, I call them even."

_In short range weapons, it is an even matchup._

_ Coming up, a 12 foot long cavalry spear goes up against a 15 foot long spear utilized to brutal efficiency by the phalanxes of Hellenistic warfare._

XXXXX

_Now the time has come for both ancient generals to break out their mid-ranged arsenal. Up first will be Hannibal and his sarissa._

"The sarissa was introduced by Philip II of Macedon as a replacement for the dory in phalanx formations," Dave explained, "It was made of the resilient cornel wood and was 15 feet long, weighing in at around 12 pounds. It had an iron head shaped like a leaf and a bronze butt spike that would allow it to be anchored into the ground to halt charges by enemy soldiers."

Hank stood ready with a sarissa in hand, accompanied by 4 other men also wielding the same weapon.

"Since the sarissa was intended for phalanx formation, we've set up 5 pig carcasses to simulate an enemy squad charging towards you," Geoff said motioning to the pigs, arranged in a phalanx formation of their own, one of which was outfitted in a bronze cuirass, "On my signal, you are going to charge head on."

Hank nodded as he and the other men got into position with their sarissas held horizontally.

"Are you ready?" Geoff called out.

Hank and his fellow experts shouted in unison.

"On 3…2…1, charge!"

The quintet charged for the pigs and thrusts their spears, the others tearing effortlessly into the unarmored ones while Hank had struggled with the one clad in the cuirass.

"Let's see what we've got here," Dr. Dorian said walking over to examine the impaled carcasses. "Our first pig you tore through his chest and in one thrust you managed to go through his heart, lungs and spinal column, instant kill." He then went over to examine the armored torso, "With your armored target I'm only seeing enough force to break a rib, incapacitating, but not a kill." He then moved over to examine the other three targets. "You managed to tear through this guy's intestines and part of his colon, not only is he going to bleed out rapidly, he's also going to be spilling out excrement. To put it bluntly, that would be a sh-tty way to die. For your fourth target, you…ooh, went below the belt. There's no armor down there and you're going to rip him apart and he's gonna bleed out, an instant kill. For your last target, this guy was struck in his armpit and that's an interesting kind of kill. You're going to hit his brachial artery and his shoulder, not only are you gonna immobilize that arm, but you're going to cause a massive amount of bleeding due to it being right next to the heart.

"Altogether, I see one injury and 4 kills," Dr. Dorian concluded.

"I also can't help but notice how that one sarissa bent when it went up against the armored torso," Mack noted while reviewing the slow motion footage, "That leaves me wondering how this will do against any armored opponent altogether."

"That weapon is long yes, but it's also unwieldy and too one-dimensional, plus it required both hands for use and it would be practically worthless outside of a tight phalanx formation," Jerry pointed out.

"Heh, I'd like to see you do any better," Hank shot back.

_Alexander responds with the xyston._

"The xyston was a 12-foot long thrusting lance that was popular with the cavalry forces of Macedon, or the 'hetairoi,' as they were known back then," Dave explained, "It consisted of a wooden shaft with a metallic spearhead, as well as a tapering butt spike on the opposite end to counterbalance the weapon."

Jerry rode up to the outdoor range on his horse with the xyston in hand to meet with the panelists.

"That weapon looks pretty heavy," Mack pointed out.

"It's actually lighter than it looks," Jerry responded, "It can be wielded underarm or overarm."

"Well we've set up an armored torso on horseback to test out the xyston's capabilities, so whenever you are ready you can get into position," Geoff said motioning to a ballistic gel torso mounted atop a fake horse.

"Jerry are you ready?" Geoff shouted.

"Ready!" Jerry called back.

"On 3…2…1, release the horse!"

Jerry charged forward at full speed as the fake horse was released to make its charge and with his lance extended he struck the torso in its bronze breastplate, sending it falling from its fake horse with a loud thud.

Dr. Dorian walked over to examine the fallen 'warrior,' taking immediate notice of the hole in its armor, "I'm seeing you managed to score penetration on your target, but the hole is still very small so that leaves me to wonder," he said before carefully removing the musculata, "I'm not seeing much damage underneath. Granted you will inflict a flesh wound, but aside from that I think this guy would take more damage from the fall, I'm talking a possible broken neck, ribs, arms, skull or internal injuries."

"You're not gonna be able to keep yourself steady on a galloping horse. Good luck trying that on an enemy that can actually fight back," Hank scoffed.

_Both weapons have been tested in their respective primary fashion, but where do our panelists stand?_

"I'm gonna have to go with the xyston on this one," Geoff started, "It is lighter, which enables more versatility as to how it can be used. It can be used overhand or underhand, plus it can be used on foot as well, whereas the sarissa is a strictly infantry weapon."

"I have to disagree and go with the sarissa on this one," Dr. Dorian countered, "It is longer and could keep enemies at bay regardless if they were on foot or on horseback. You also have to factor in the dangers of a long, unwieldy weapon like the xyston being used on horseback. Imagine having to use one hand for holding that lance, while trying to keep your horse under control with the other, edge sarissa."

"I'm gonna have to go with the xyston on this one," Mack seconded Geoff, "It had more flexibility as to how it could be used, that and the sarissa was meant for phalanx style attacks, proving rather burdensome during long marches otherwise, edge xyston."

_In mid-range weapons, Alexander the Great takes the edge with the xyston._

_ Coming up, both warriors strike from afar when an armor-piercing forerunner to the medieval crossbow goes up against an armor-piercing javelin._

_ Then later, history will be rewritten when two legendary generals go head to head for the very first time!_

XXXXX

_The time has come for both sides to pull out their long range weapons. Up first will be Alexander the Great with the Gastraphetes._

"So tell us more about the gastraphetes," Geoff said as Jerry readied his weapon.

"The gastraphetes was a forerunner to the medieval crossbow," Jerry explained, "It was braced against the user's stomach when firing the weapon. It was able to pierce most armors of the day and offered greater range than any other weapon aside from siege weapons."

"To test its accuracy and stopping power we've set up another shooting range for you," Geoff said motioning towards a spot where two circular targets had been set up with a ballistic gel torso in the center, again outfitted in Hannibal's musculata, "We are giving you six arrows, two for each target. We want you to start with the circular targets first and then move to the gel torso in the center. Whenever you are ready you may get into position."

Jerry nodded and reached for an arrow as the crew looked on in the background.

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Hell yeah," Jerry shouted back.

"Then on 3…2…1, open fire!"

Jerry took aim and fired his first arrow, striking the white outline of the first circular target.

"Ooh, that didn't look very good," Geoff muttered.

Undeterred, Jerry wasted no time and pushed the bow to the ground, reaching for his next arrow and pulling the slider mechanism all the way back and taking aim. He pulled the trigger, yet the next arrow shot out awkwardly and it turned to the side, missing the target entirely.

"I do not like what I'm seeing," Dr. Dorian concurred.

"I agree, plus look at how long it's taking him to reload that thing," Mack added as Jerry pushed the bow down into the ground and loaded his next bolt.

Jerry took aim and fired his third bolt, finally striking the second target in its yellow center. Wasting no time he reached for his fourth bolt and repeated the process, again managing to strike the yellow center, albeit barely.

With the two circular targets taken care of he shifted his sights to the gel torso target and reached for his fifth arrow, taking aim and striking the torso in its armored center, managing to penetrate, but the arrow bouncing off afterward. There was only one shot left after that and he needed to make it count. Taking aim after reloading he fired and narrowly hit the left side of his target's gel neck.

"Your average reload time was 47 seconds," Geoff said, not sounding too sure.

"I'm going to be blunt, I did not see a lot of consistency with your shots," Mack stated, "Accuracy, not to forget reload time, are both critical factors in a battle."

Dr. Dorian made his way over to assess the damage done to the armored torso, "Indeed you managed to penetrate the armor, but you barely punctured the epidermis. You might be able to wind your adversary at the most. Your second shot managed to hit the target's jugular," he said pulling the arrow out and measured the length of blood, "You went deep enough to score one kill shot."

"That has a murderous reload time. If you miss your first shot, I could be filling you full of holes before you get the chance to even reach for your next arrow."

_Hannibal responds with the soliferrum._

"The soliferrum was an Iberian throwing javelin," Dave explained, "It was made solely of iron and was around 2 and half feet in length and weighed 2 pounds. It could pierce armor and shields and could be used both on foot and from horseback."

Hank rode up on his horse with 3 soliferrums in hand.

"It was common for horsemen to typically carry 3 of these at once," the weapons expert explained.

"Well we've set up another armored torso complete with a shield," Geoff said motioning to the armored torso on a pedestal, "We want you to get at least one shot at the shield and then after that what you do is up to you."

"You got it," Hank said walking his horse over to the starting point.

"Hank, are you ready?" Geoff shouted.

"Damn right," Hank called back.

"Then on 3…2…1, charge!"

Hank willed his horse forth and it began galloping full speed towards the armored torso. Reaching for his first javelin he flung it at the shield, which easily deflected it.

Undeterred, Hank ordered his horse to turn around and he took another lap before charging head on at the target, tossing his second soliferrum into the its armored chest, the spear again bouncing off.

He was down to his last one and he ordered the horse around before it again charged forth and he tossed it, this time striking the figure in an unarmored area.

"Again we saw more of a struggle when it comes up against the bronze armor and it was only when you hit an unarmored area you managed to get results," Mack observed, noting the dents in the shield and musculata.

"With your shot to the shield there was no penetration," Dr. Dorian said looking it over before checking out the musculata, "I'm seeing here you did manage to achieve some penetration," and then he carefully removed the armor, "I'm seeing another flesh wound, but with the force you struck with you did manage to possibly break a rib, and then your last shot," he said pulling the soliferrum out, "Yeesh, you got him right in the windpipe and traveled through to penetrate his spinal cord, this is a kill."

_In spite of their struggles, both weapons managed to score at least one kill, but where do our experts stand?_

"I saw a lot of struggle when these weapons were pitted against bronze armor, but if I had to give an edge it would go to the soliferrum," Geoff started, "It's smaller, faster and it can be used on both horseback and on foot."

"I have to agree with you, edge soliferrum," Dr. Dorian followed, "The fact that the user typically carries 3 at a time really helps and with this weapon the user doesn't have to go through a slow reload time, which was a glaring drawback of the gastraphetes."

"I agree with both of you," Mack followed, "From what I saw the gastraphetes was murderously slow on reload time. In addition, it was heavy, unreliable and often inaccurate, edge soliferrum."

_In long range weapons, Hannibal takes the edge with the soliferrum._

_ Coming up, both warriors will break out their special weapons and then after that, we will see what happens when two of history's greatest generals collide._

XXXXX

_The time has finally come for both sides to break out their special weapons._

_ Up first will be Hannibal with his war elephant._

"For the first time ever on 'Deadliest Warrior' we are using a weapon that is an actual living animal," Geoff explained as the crew was gathered at the outdoor range, where an African Bush Elephant stood in the background with her trainer at her side.

"In 331 B.C., Alexander the Great encountered war elephants used by the Persians at the Battle of Guagamela, later inspiring him to adopt the captured elephants into his own army," explained trainer Hayden Rosenaur, "The most well-known usage of war elephants came during the Second Punic War, when Hannibal crossed the Alps and invaded the Roman Empire with 37 war elephants under his command.

"Due to the extinction of the North African Elephant, we've brought Suzie in for this test," he said motioning to the elephant at his side.

"We've set up two tests for your elephant," Geoff started motioning towards a ballistic gel torso lying on the ground that was outfitted in Alexander's armor, "First, we want to see how effective she is against an armored adversary and then after that, we want to test her out against an entire army of charging Macedonians," he finished, motioning towards various foam targets set up in a phalanx formation.

Hayden willed Suzie forth and she stomped down onto the prone target, immediately crushing its shield, followed by the cracking of bones. She ended it by stepping on the head, exploding everything inside outward.

With the ballistic gel torso demolished, her trainer then ordered her to charge forth and she through the wall of foam targets, crushing all of them with ease as the crew cheered in the background.

"Man, that's just f-cking brutal," Mack half-laughed.

It took some time, but Suzie's trainer eventually managed to calm her and it was then the crew had time to assess the damage.

"She pulverized this guy," Dr. Dorian said kneeling next to the destroyed gel torso, "This guy's armor did nothing to protect him. Both his lungs have been punctured, all his ribs were broken, his spine splintered into tiny pieces and his skull opened up like a flower. He's dead in every way possible."

The doctor then made his way over to assess the wreckage left behind that was once an army of foam torsos, "These are all kills. I'm seeing skulls stomped in, chests with all their ribs shattered, lower abdominals with all the guts inside turned to liquid."

"It was an impressive display, no doubt about that," Jerry commented, "but you have to keep in mind that elephants are easy to spook. If my special weapon can cause enough pain, then it's just going to run away."

_Alexander the Great responds with the ballista._

Nearby a ballista had been erected and the crew was gathered around it.

"The ballista was a siege engine invented by the ancient Greeks, resembling an enlarged crossbow that shot 4 foot bolts," Jerry explained, "It was drawn by hand winches, which twisted the torsion springs to create far greater power than otherwise achieved, resulting in faster and further launched projectiles that could travel up to 500 yards away. It was so revolutionary the Romans would adapt this weapon and its design later inspired the creation of the Scorpion."

"Well we've set up a number of targets to test out this weapon's abilities," Geoff said motioning towards the open range, "200 yards down the range; we set up a simulated elephant made from quarter inch leather for the dermis, ¾ of an inch of close cell foam for the epidermis, and 9 inches of ballistics gel for its subcutaneous tissue," Geoff explained before motioning towards the other targets, "In addition to our 'elephant,' we've also set up a battalion of charging soldiers lead by a mounted commander wearing the bronze armor of Hannibal," he said pointing out the ballistic gel torso riding atop a fake horse flanked from both sides by foam torsos, "You have 5 shots for this test."

Jerry nodded and made his way over to the ballista, where he was again joined by crewmember Andy. Loading the first bolt, he pulled the lever to fire and sent the bolt flying through the air, striking the simulated 'elephant.'

Adjusting its aim, Andy loaded a bolt while Jerry cranked the hand winch and fired the second bolt, striking the mounted gel torso and knocking it from its steed. Loading his third bolt, he took the shot and sent it flying into the face of a target to the fake horse's left. He loads his fourth bolt and fires a shot that connects with the stomach of a target at the far right of the formation. He then quickly goes for his fifth bolt and fires his last shot that connects with the chest of another.

"That was impressive," Geoff said checking his stopwatch, "You had an average reload time of 54 seconds," he reported before consulting his radar gun, "and your average speed for each shot was 198 mph. That's a speeding missile flying at your enemies there."

Dr. Dorian made his way down to the range and first examined the 'elephant,' "With our elephant here I'm seeing you managed to hit its center mass. You didn't score enough penetration to kill, but the elephant will definitely be in pain," he said as he reached in to wiggle the bolt out, "Man, this is in deep. This guy's gonna be in a lot of pain and with it, he's gonna be panicked and he's gonna probably be throwing off his driver and running around indiscriminately causing casualties as he's trying to escape, so you've managed to create one major hole in Hannibal's offense."

He then made his way over to examine the other targets, starting with the mounted gel target. "You've actually managed to penetrate this man's armor and judging by where you've struck, you've collapsed a lung and for sure he's gonna bleed out if he doesn't get immediate medical attention." He then made his way over to where the third bolt struck, "With this guy you went through his cheek and into the brain, an instant kill. For your fourth shot, once again you've torn through this guy's intestines and have demolished his colon, another instant kill and a very sh-tty one at that. With the last strike, you've destroyed this guy's heart and went deep enough to pierce his spine, another instant kill."

_Two deadly special weapons have proven their worth in dishing out the bloodshed, but where do our experts stand?_

"First and foremost, in spite of their lethality both of these weapons possess glaring drawbacks," Geoff started, "The ballista is deadly when pitted against stationary targets, but when pitted against moving targets there is where a question of accuracy comes into play. Not only that, there is the issue of reload time and the fact that this is weapon requires a crew. When you're low on men that's gonna come back to bite you in the ass."

"The war elephant is capable of causing tons of damage and can inspire terror in any enemy not used to fighting them, but on the other hand, they are a living, breathing weapon that can be panicked when they are injured or when their driver is killed and when that happens, they become a frightened, charging battle tank that will plow down anything in their path," Mack countered.

"Still when it comes down to it, I have to give the edge to the elephant," Geoff answered, "It has the killing power and it provides intimidation."

"I have to disagree and go with the ballista," Dr. Dorian countered, "The ballista has killing power and the ability to penetrate Hannibal's armor, whereas Alexander's other weapons have struggled with that particular factor. It also has the range to launch a surprise attack from a distance and it lacks the unpredictability of a large walking time bomb that a live elephant can be. Edge, the ballista."

Once again the tiebreaker would fall down to Mack.

"I'm gonna have to go with the elephant," Mack decided, "It is a large walking battle tank that can take so much punishment and inspire so much fear into the opposing armies, edge elephant."

_In special weapons, Hannibal takes the edge with his war elephant._

_ Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"We will start out with generalship for these two warriors and for that it was very close, but we ended up giving Hannibal a 91 to Alexander's 90. He convinced his men to travel through the Alps in freezing conditions and with an army of elephants. They stuck with him because they believed in him, whereas by the time Alexander and his armies got to India; his soldiers were getting restless and wanted to return home to their families, so he allowed them to leave to avert a revolt."

"For strategy, both these men were some of the most influential strategists in all of military history, yet Hannibal isn't considered 'the father of military strategy' for nothing, so we gave him a 97 to Alexander's 94."

"For logistics, Alexander had supply lines stretching all the way to India, so we gave him a 93 to Hannibal's 77."

"For physicality, both these men were very healthy. Hannibal had a balanced diet, but Alexander was trained in Pankration, so we gave Alexander a 92 to Hannibal's 84."

"For endurance, again both these men were very physically healthy. Alexander's Pankration again comes into play here and with Hannibal it must be considered that he began his campaign against Rome in the dead of winter. We ranked them an 88 even."

"Lastly, we have audacity and again we take into consideration Hannibal's hazardous trek through the Alps with an entire army of elephants at his disposal, one which cost him more than half his men. We gave him a 90 to Alexander's 80."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win a battle between two of history's most legendary generals?_

_ The battle will be fought in a 5-on-5 encounter featuring Hannibal accompanied by 2 Numidian horsemen and two Carthaginian foot soldiers, all of whom will wear lorica hamata armor and carry the same kind of shields and wear the same helmet as Hannibal._

_ Alexander will be accompanied by two Macedonian horsemen and foot soldiers, the foot soldiers wearing the same armor as their leader, while the horsemen wear linothorax, all of whom will wear Corinthian helmets._

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

A lone Macedonian scout surveys the Greek countryside, on the lookout for any invaders. He is about to move to another location, when he suddenly spots a line of foreign soldiers marching along the trail below, a heavily-armored man riding atop an elephant accompanied by two horsemen and two foot soldiers.

It's him!

The scout quickly makes his way back to the nearby camp to alert his leader, the warrior king Alexander the Great.

His most hated adversary trespassing on his lands, he orders two of his men to ready their ballista, while ordering two more to gather their belly bows and prepare for an ambush. The two men remaining behind get to work, one of them loading a bolt while the other begins turning the crank.

**Alexander the Great: 5**

Hannibal Barca rides along on his war elephant with four of his most loyal men at his side. He is on a personal mission to locate and eliminate Alexander the Great, the warrior king having interfered with his conquest of Rome. He is determined to stop his new enemy at all costs.

As they move along the trail he looks off to his right and notices several birds flying away from an unseen clearing. The sight is highly suspicious to him and he orders his men to halt.

**Hannibal Barca: 5**

The bolt has been readied. Looking back to his men, Alexander nods and the operator pulls the lever to fire.

The bolt sails through the air and strikes the horseman riding next to Hannibal, catching him in his unprotected neck. He falls to the ground with his veins and arteries torn apart, quickly exsanguinating.

**Alexander the Great: 5 – Hannibal Barca: 4**

Before Hannibal can react, two more Macedonian foot soldiers appear from behind cover, each armed with a gastraphetes, and open fire. One of their bolts sails through the air and strikes a Carthaginian foot soldier in his face, while the other bolt completely misses Hannibal's head.

**Alexander the Great: 5 – Hannibal Barca: 3**

Shouting the command Hannibal orders his remaining men to attack and his horseman charges forth while both Macedonians scramble to reload their bows.

The charging horseman pulls out a soliferrum and tosses it into the chest of the first foot soldier, but it catches his cuirass and he is simply knocked to the ground. Quickly reaching for a second, he approaches the other Macedonian, who by now has reloaded his gastraphetes, but before he can raise his bow the horseman charges by and tosses his second soliferrum, catching him in the throat.

**Alexander the Great: 4 – Hannibal Barca: 3**

More galloping is heard from the distance and Hannibal looks up to see three additional men coming down the nearby slope on horseback, one of them being Alexander.

The Numidian cavalryman takes notice of the warrior king and charges towards him, readying his last soliferrum. He charges forth and tosses the javelin, but it is deflected by the shield of a Macedonian horseman, leaving him wide open to be impaled by Alexander's xyston.

**Alexander the Great: 4 – Hannibal Barca: 2**

Noting his adversary is drawing nearer; Hannibal dismounts his elephant and prodded him with a soliferrum to charge at the oncoming Macedonians.

Both of the horsemen are nearby and struggle to maintain control of their steeds as the elephant charges towards them, causing both of them to panic. Forced to dismount, one of the horsemen reaches for a xyston, while the other grabs his kopis, and they are soon joined by the surviving bowman, who has managed to reload his gastraphetes. Taking aim, the bowman fires an arrow into the elephant's hide, but it only serves to anger the pachyderm, who continues its forward charge, eventually catching up to one of the soldiers and trampling him.

**Alexander the Great: 3 – Hannibal Barca: 2**

The Macedonian soldier equipped with the xyston got out of the elephant's way and charged towards the large animal, stabbing the xyston into its side. The elephant let out a bellow of pain and took off away from the battle at hand. The Macedonian's victory is short-lived when the remaining Carthaginian foot soldier managed to sneak up on him and run him through with his sarissa.

**Alexander the Great: 2 – Hannibal Barca: 2**

Seeking to avenge his fallen comrade the remaining Macedonian let out a battle cry and charged towards the Carthaginian with his kopis in hand. Tossing down his sarissa, the foot soldier drew his falcata and their blades clashed. The Macedonian attempted to go low, but the Carthaginian lowered his caetra to absorb the blow. Unfortunately, it would leave the man open as Alexander rode to his man's rescue and sliced the remaining Carthaginian's throat with his kopis.

**Alexander the Great: 2 – Hannibal Barca: 1**

It would all be for naught as Hannibal came up from behind the Macedonian and impaled him with his falcata.

**Alexander the Great: 1 – Hannibal Barca: 1**

Alexander brought his horse to a halt and was about to make another lap when he saw Hannibal had managed to do away with his last man. Hollering in rage, the warrior king made his charge for the plucky general and shot his kopis downward, only to be met by Hannibal's falcata in a deafening clash of steel on steel. He rode past and again pulled his horse to a halt, ordering it to turn around and preparing to make another head on charge, only to be taken by surprise as Hannibal reached down and scooped up his deceased soldier's sarissa, driving it into the warrior king's chest as he sped forth.

The blow knocked Alexander from his horse, yet his armor was there to cushion the fall. Quickly pushing himself back to his feet he ran over and scooped up the shield of his fallen lancer, ready to meet Hannibal one on one.

The two leaders circled each other with fury in their eyes and they leapt towards one another, their similarly-designed blades clashing before trying to ram each other with their shields, which also clashed together. After a back and forth struggle, Hannibal managed to reach his blade over and slashed into Alexander's arm, forcing him to drop his kopis. The Carthaginian general attempted to capitalize, but Alexander managed to grab his arm and flip him over his shoulder onto the hard ground.

Hannibal struck hard and clambered for his nearby falcata, but Alexander was quickly onto him, grabbing him from behind and locking him in a vicious strangle hold until he was gasping for air and he again tossed him onto the ground. With his opponent down, Alexander reached down for his kopis and charged for his enemy.

Hannibal was desperate for some form of defense and saw one of his men's caetra lying nearby. Again he found himself scrambling and got to it, rolling over and throwing it over his face just in time to intercept an attempted strike from Alexander's kopis. Still flat on his back, he shot his foot out and caught Alexander in the shin, dropping the warrior king to a knee. He again shot his foot out and caught him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Given the extra time, the Carthaginian general quickly pushed himself back to his feet and finally managed to retrieve his falcata.

He walked over and stood tall over the fallen warrior king, who by now was on his knees and looking up to him. The image of Hannibal standing over him would be the last thing he would ever see as the Carthaginian brought the blade down onto his throat.

**Alexander the Great: 0 – Hannibal Barca: 1**

With his opponent lying in a broken heap at his feet, Hannibal raised his falcata into the air and yelled out in victory.

XXXXX

Winner: Hannibal Barca

Hannibal Barca:

Falcata: 117

Sarissa: 30

Soliferrum: 95

War Elephant: 354

Total: 596

Alexander the Great:

Kopis: 120

Xyston: 225

Gastraphetes: 52

Ballista: 7

Total: 404

_In a battle of two ancient generals, Hannibal proved victorious, his war elephant playing the deciding factor with him scoring 354 kills, outperforming all of Alexander's weapons on a grand scale._

"Hannibal won because he ultimately proved himself to be the superior strategist of the two and was also better at motivating his men to follow him to the greatest extremes. He also proved himself to have the better long range weapon and having the elephant at his side provided that vital intimidation and killing power needed to secure his victory," Geoff explained.

(Hannibal is shown to have reunited with his lost war elephant and he is riding back to his nearest camp. He has claimed Alexander's Kopis as a trophy of his latest conquest, knowing it will serve him well in his next campaign against the accursed Romans.)

XXXXX

_Next time on 'Deadliest Warrior,' it's a battle of two feared barbarian leaders:_

Genghis Khan: The Mongolian warlord who unified various clans and led them to establish the world's largest continuous empire…

Vs.

Attila the Hun: The violent raider who forged the Hunnic Empire in the blood of Europe.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

XXXXX

Author's Note: In a way I do sort of fudge the rules a little bit as Alexander actually did encounter war elephants on the battle field and as I pointed out, ended up taking some for himself following a battle with the Persians. Still, Hannibal would have been a completely different kind of enemy for Alexander and thus he might have done things with elephants that the Persians probably wouldn't have.

As always I appreciate any feedback I get so until next time, this is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


	11. Genghis Khan vs Attila the Hun

Genghis Khan: The Mongolian warlord whose incomparable brutality carved out the largest empire on Earth…

(Genghis runs an enemy soldier through with his jida as his men overrun a rival military camp.)

Vs.

Attila the Hun: The barbarian horseman who terrorized mainland Europe and the Roman Empire.

(Attila is shown throwing a man onto a table and driving a Scythian axe into his chest as his men ravage the city around him.)

**WHO IS DEADLIEST?**

_To find out, we've assembled a team of world class fighters to test history's most lethal weapons. Using 21__st__ century science, we'll see what happens when two warriors go toe to toe._

_ No rules. No safety. No mercy. It's a duel to the death to decide who is…__**THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!**_

___Here in our elite fight club we have gathered doctors, medical scientists and weapons experts to test out the lethal arsenals wielded by each of our combatants to determine who would win a fight between two warriors who never met in a face to face duel:_

Genghis Khan

Circa: 1206 A.D.

Age: 39

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 170 lbs.

Armor:

Steel Lamellar

Steel Helmet

Wooden Shield w/Steel Strips

Attila the Hun

Circa: 443 A.D.

Age: 37

Height: 5' 6"

Weight: 145 lbs.

Armor:

Leather Lamellar

Leather Hat

Wooden Shield w/Leather Covering

"Both of these men were some of the fiercest raiders to ever live," Richard "Mack" Machowicz started out, "Whenever you hear the names of Genghis Khan or Attila the Hun uttered, you're going to think of bloodshed and brutality. Yet at the same time, they were both charismatic leaders who united various tribes to create large empires and are revered as national heroes in their respective countries to this day."

"I'm gonna go with Genghis Khan," trauma doctor Armand Dorian started, "When I think of Khan, I think of him laying the groundwork for what would become the largest empire in all of recorded history. It took a special kind of leader to do that and I think he's gonna be adding Attila's head to his trophy collection."

"I'm siding with Attila the Hun this time," biomedical scientist Geoff Desmoulin countered, "He was as scrappy as you could get and he had the gall to go back on a treaty with the Pope, the most powerful man on Earth. I see him shooting down Genghis and then dragging his corpse along behind him afterward."

_Born as Temujin, the future leader would come to power through uniting various nomadic tribes from around northeast Asia, uniting them into one large military force which would go on to conquer half the known world. It was after he was proclaimed 'Genghis Khan' he would begin the Mongol invasions._

"To his enemies he was the Devil incarnate," Mack started, "He was the most brutal of the brutal. He was ambitious and he was driven to conquer everything in his path. To those who wouldn't bow to the might of the Khan, they were wiped from history. His campaigns were accompanied by the wholesale massacres of civilian populations."

_In addition to his success as a military commander, Khan was a renowned statesman who enacted various progressive reforms for his day, including religious tolerance and the implementation of a writing script for Mongolians called the 'Uyghur.' It is estimated that nearly 200,000 present day Mongolians are related by blood to him._

"He carries a varied legacy among historians. Some view him as a great military leader and a larger-than-life figure, whereas others view him as a destructive and genocidal warlord. Nevertheless, he created a legacy that endures to this day," Mack concluded.

_Genghis Khan brings an entire blood-drenched arsenal as he seeks to further his empire's boundaries:_

Short Range: Turko-Mongol Saber

Mid-Range: Jida

Long Range: Mongol Recurve Bow

Special Weapon: Iron Flanged Mace

_Today, the Great Khan will go against a leader of a similar bloodstained background, one viewed as a hero by his people and a savage by others._

_ Born into a Hunnic clan around the early 5__th__ century, Attila rose to power alongside his brother Bleda before murdering him and taking over sole leadership of the clan, carrying out a rampage which took him all across mainland Europe._

"He fought everybody, the Visigoths, Celts, Franks, Burgundians and the Western Roman Empire, he was determined to make whoever he could bow to the will of the Hun, no one was safe," Mack explained.

_Attila's sights eventually turned to the Roman Empire, his actions becoming so severe Pope Leo I intervened in an attempt to convince him to stop his invasion of Italy. Even after his death in 453 A.D., the Roman Empire had found itself overwhelmed by his barbarous actions and would soon collapse 23 years later._

"Much like his opponent, Attila is a man with a very mixed legacy. Outsiders associate his name with violence and gore, but to the people of Hungary, he is a national hero," Mack concluded.

_The notorious raider brings an assortment of brutal weapons that painted the European landscape in the blood of his enemies:_

Short Range: Sword of Mars

Mid-Range: Lasso

Long Range: Hunnic Composite Bow

Special Weapon: Scythian Axe

_Both these warriors will start things off with their deadly short ranged weapons. Genghis Khan will be up first with his Turko-Mongol Saber._

"The Turko-Mongol Saber was a curved sword with a steel blade. It was 48.5 inches long and weighed 3 pounds, making it very light for its length," Dave Baker explained, "It was primarily used for slashing, but could thrust as well. The length and curvature made it well-suited for horseback attacks and its design would influence swords throughout Asia and Eastern Europe for centuries until firearms rendered them obsolete."

Hank rides up on horseback with the saber in hand to another course that has been set up.

"Alright Hank, we've set up some targets to test out your saber's capabilities," Geoff said motioning to the targets, "First you're going to attack a suspended bovine slab with a density two to three times thicker than a human being's ribs. Next you will assault a ballistic gel torso with the density of human flesh and then lastly, you will dismount to attack another gel torso that has been outfitted in the leather lamellar of Attila the Hun."

"Sounds good to me," Hank replied before riding over and getting into position.

"Hank, are you ready?" Geoff asked.

Hank hooted back in reply.

"Then on 3…2…1, charge!"

Hank started towards the first target and shot his blade out, tearing deep into the slab and managing to pull out some of its innards before making his way over to the first ballistic gel torso and again shooting his blade out, slashing it just beneath its neck.

With his first two targets dealt with, Hank dismounted and made his way for the armored torso, attacking first with a stab through its stomach and then pulling the blade out and slashing a little higher, only slicing through a few individual leather pieces. Grunting in frustration, he went for another slash that caught the torso in the neck, leaving a torrent of stage blood to come spilling out.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to assess the damage of the bovine slab, "I'm seeing roughly four inches of penetration here, enough to get at the vital internal organs beneath. This is a killing blow."

He then made his way over to the first gel torso, "You caught this guy just beneath his neck and your blade was drawn all the way through this man's collarbone and the deltoid muscle. This is another kill."

He then made his way over to the last target, "With your last guy I'm seeing you only managed to get an inch of the blade through his armor, not enough to hurt or stun him. With your shot that went higher again you didn't manage to penetrate, but I am seeing you did generate enough force to cause a broken rib. Your last shot is surely a kill, but the purpose of this test was to test your saber's capabilities against armor and it failed to cause any lethal damage. Altogether, you scored 2 instant kills and one injury if you ignore the strike to the throat."

"You carried out your strikes with an average of 72 mph," Geoff said reading off a speedometer, "It looks slow and like it does more to drain the user's stamina, something which has to be a concern when on the battlefield."

"My blade has better thrusting power, speed, maneuverability and it's double-edged," Jerry countered.

"The Sword of Mars was a particularly difficult sword to reconstruct due to its rare material, made from meteorite iron, much stronger than the irons found here on Earth," Dave explained, "It had a double-edged straight blade and it was 31 inches long and 3 pounds in weight, a very versatile weapon."

Jerry rode up on horseback with a copy of the Sword of Mars in hand.

"Alright Jerry, it's the same test for you, only your last target will be outfitted in the steel lamellar and helmet of Genghis Khan, whenever you are ready get into position," Geoff said.

Jerry nodded and got into position.

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff called out.

"Let's do this!" the weapons specialist shouted back.

"On 3…2…1, ride or die!"

Jerry charged towards the bovine slab and shot his blade out, leaving a deep rend in its surface. He then started after the second target and again slashed at it, catching it deep in its neck.

Having taken down the two unarmored targets, Jerry quickly dismounted and charged for the armored torso, attacking first with a stab to the midsection. When no serious damage was inflicted he went for a slash, but again only a dent. Drawing his blade higher he brought it down upon the steel helmet, shaking the head, but not inflicting any serious damage.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to assess the damage on the bovine slab, "Alright, I'm pretty much seeing the same level of trauma inflicted upon the bovine slab as what I saw done by the saber," he said before making his way over to the first torso target, "With your second guy I'm seeing a deep slice to the neck, managing to tear through all the major arteries and then the throat, an instant kill."

The doctor then made his way over to assess the armored torso, "With this guy I'm only seeing you managed to leave a few scratches and your stab wasn't enough to do anything. With the shot to the helmet I'm only seeing light superficial scratches, not enough force to damage the skull. This guy is still alive and still going to be alert enough to fight back."

"Your attacks were faster, but you only managed a swing force of 66 mph," Geoff said reading the speedometer.

_Both swords have been tested, but where do our experts stand?_

"While both of these weapons struggled with each other's armor, I'm gonna have to go Turko-Mongol Saber all the way," Geoff started, "It has a longer blade and more killing power, edge saber."

"The leather lamellar held out stronger than I expected, but still I have to go with the Turko-Mongol Saber for its cutting power and longer blade," Dr. Dorian seconded.

"I wanted to like the Sword of Mars because of its unique material, but even that wasn't enough for it to get past Genghis Khan's steel armor, whereas the saber was capable of doing more damage, edge saber," Mack concluded.

_In short range weapons, Genghis Khan takes the edge with the Turko-Mongol Saber._

_ Coming up, both warriors will test out their mid-range arsenals when a piercing cavalry lance goes up against a crude, but dangerous offense._

XXXXX

_The time has come for both warriors to show off their mid-range weapons._

Jerry rode up on his horse towards the panelists with a rope in hand.

"And what do you bring for Attila's mid-range weapon?" Geoff asked looking the rope over.

"The lasso was one of Attila's most notorious tools of bloodshed," Jerry explained, "He tied a noose on one end, catch his enemy and drag them behind him, a very horrible way to go."

"And you're going to show us what can be done," Geoff said turning and motioning towards a dummy set up on a fake horse, "We've set up a charging Mongol on horseback. This dummy has a pressure sensor inside of it, which will tell us if the lasso alone can kill. Whenever you are ready, get into position."

Jerry nodded and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, wrangle 'em up!" Geoff called out.

Jerry willed his horse forth and sped towards the mounted dummy, all the while twirling the lasso over his head and building up momentum. When he came within range, he shot the rope outward and ensnared it around the dummy's neck, pulling his inanimate target from its mount as he rode past and it hit the ground with a hard thud.

"Ooh, that looked pretty sick," Geoff commented.

"Let's find out just how sick," Dr. Dorian said making his way over to the fallen dummy and checking over the pressure pads set up, "I'm seeing enough damage here to possibly cause what we call a 'hangman's fracture,' in addition to a possible crushed trachea. You're going to hurt this guy, but not kill him."

"From what I saw, it seems more likely that guy would either die from the fall itself or being trampled by other horses while being dragged behind the user's horse," Mack pointed out.

"While you're busy playing your little S&M game over there, my mid-range weapon will be killing whatever comes its way," Hank spoke up.

_Genghis Khan responds with the jida lance._

"The jida is a long spear from Central Asia," Dave started, "It was 12 feet long and weighed 5 pounds. Its blade was 8 inches of steel and was intended for high speed impacts. It could be used on foot, but its primary intended use was as a cavalry weapon."

"Wow, that's a pretty scary looking lance you've got there," Dr. Dorian chuckled as Hank showed his mid-range weapon off, while Jerry scoffed in the background.

"Since this weapon can be used both on foot and on horseback we want to test out both scenarios," Geoff started while motioning towards a nearby pig carcass, "We're going to start with a simulated charge and we've got a pig carcass here as a stand-in. Whenever you are ready, you may get into position."

Hank nodded and stood ready with the jida extended.

"Hank, are you ready?"

"Yeah!" the weapons expert shouted back.

"Release the pig!" Geoff ordered.

The pig was sent charging towards Hank along a suspended zip line, the weapons expert thrusting the lance outward and tearing into his target without resistance.

"You went all the way through that poor guy," Dr. Dorian chuckled making his way over, "In one thrust, you managed to pierce this guy's intestines and spinal cord, this is an instant kill."

"Now we up the ante," Geoff said motioning towards a ballistic gel torso outfitted with leather lamellar, "Now we want you to show was this can do on horseback against an armored opponent."

"Always up for the challenge," Hank nodded.

The weapons expert climbed onto his horse and got into position.

"On 3…2…1, charge!" Geoff called out.

Willing his horse forth, Hank made his charge with the lance extended and drove it all the way through, prompting a "Holy sh-t" from Dr. Dorian.

"You just made Swiss cheese out of that armor," Mack laughed.

Dr. Dorian made his way over and had to yank the jida out before he could remove the lamellar, "You punched through the front plate like it was nothing, impaled this guy through the sternum, destroyed his spinal column, and still managed to puncture the back plate. Unquestionably, this is a kill."

"Altogether we have two kills," Geoff reported.

_Both sides have shown off their mid-range weapons and it's safe to say the panel has made their decision._

"Jida all the way for me," Geoff started out, "Nothing but raw killing power."

"I agree with you," Dr. Dorian seconded, "The lasso seems to only be capable of inflicting injuries for the most part and even further, it seems less likely that it would be the lasso itself carrying out the killings and more so the other environmental factors."

"I have to agree with both of you," Mack agreed, "The lasso is too unpredictable for my liking. It would require a high level of skill and accuracy to successfully accomplish. My edge goes to the jida."

_In mid-range weapons, Genghis Khan takes the edge with his jida._

_ Coming up, both warriors show off the master archery which made them the most feared killers of their day._

XXXXX

_The time has come for both warriors to show off the legendary marksmanship skills which made them the most feared raiders of their day. Up first will be Genghis Khan with his Mongol Recurve bow._

Hank and Jerry both rode up to an outdoor range on their horses with their respective bows in hand.

"Hank, tell us more about your bow," Geoff asked.

"The Mongol Recurve Bow was made from wood, animal horn and sinew," he explained holding his bow up for all to see, "It was high powered and could penetrate even plate armor. It fires a variety of different arrows. It has a compact size to enable better control and accuracy."

"And how about you Jerry?" Geoff asked.

"The Hunnic Composite Bow was made from wood and bone with sinew for its string," Jerry explained, "It was 4 feet long and had enough punching power to go through chainmail. Thanks to its smaller size it was ideal for use on horseback, an integral element of Hunnic warfare."

"Those both look like impressive bows, but now we're going to put them to the test to see which one is better," Geoff said before motioning to the range behind him, "We've set up a range where each of you will face 10 moving foam human targets as well as a gel torso outfitted in the armor of your opponent. Hank, you're up first so get into position."

Hank nodded and loaded his bow.

"Hank, when you are ready, let's ride!" Geoff shouted.

The weapons expert let out a massive bellow and raised his bow to fire an arrow that went straight into the face of the nearest target, prompting a collective wince from the panelists. He proceeds to take several laps back and forth, firing every available arrow in his quiver before he runs out and comes to a halt.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to examine the injuries, "Right away I must say I am impressed by your bow's accuracy. All of your arrows managed to connect."

He then began going more in-depth, "With your first guy, I'm seeing you stuck him right in the stomach, an instant kill. Your second guy you hit him right in the nose, hitting the softest part of the skull at the back and scoring another instant kill. In addition, you managed to stick him right in the spinal cord, which alone would have been another kill. The third guy gets it right through the eye and another shot straight to his Adam's apple, both instant kills. Your fourth was also shot in the eye, instant kill. Your fifth guy stuck in his left pectoral and hits the heart underneath, another instant kill. The sixth guy was nailed in the dead center of his chest, hitting his aorta and scoring another instant kill. The seventh, has an arrow right beneath his right eye, another instant kill. The eighth guy, struck in his intestine in a spot that will cause a quick kill. Ninth target, hit in the dead center of the throat and it goes all the way through to protrude out the back of his neck, kill. Your last foam target, through the mouth, had it been wide open it would have punched through the back of his skill. These are all kills."

He then made his way over to the armored target, "Now for your armored target," he said removing the armor, "You punched through his aorta, another instant kill."

"I'm stunned at how accurate that was," Mack said looking over to Jerry, "Looks like you're gonna have quite a challenge ahead of you."

"Not something I'm gonna back down from," Jerry replied getting into position.

"Okay Jerry, the same thing goes for you. Show us what you can do against the foam targets and a gel target outfitted this time with the armor of Genghis Khan," Geoff explained.

Jerry nodded and loaded his bow.

"Alright Jerry, when you are ready, charge!" Geoff shouted.

Jerry shouted for his horse to charge and quickly raised his bow, wasting no time and firing an arrow that travels straight between the eyes of his first target, rousing another collective wince as it connects. Like Hank before him, he proceeds to take several laps back and forth and fires every arrow at his disposal before he runs out and comes to a halt.

"Wow, I felt like I was just watching an instant replay. Your bow was able to match the recurve bow move for move," Mack commented.

Dr. Dorian made his way over to assess the damage, "Your first guy, unquestionably an instant kill," he said pulling out the arrow lodged between the target's eyes. He then walked over to check out the others, "With your second target, we see an arrow lodged in this guy's cheek and protruding out the side of his face, and then there's a second lodged in his jugular vein, these would both kill. For your third guy, dead center of the chest, yet another instant kill. Our fourth guy, another one right between the eyes, and I'm seeing something close with the fifth, another centimeter to the left and you would've taken out an eye, wow this thing is accurate. For the sixth guy, two arrows in his stomach, that will kill. Your seventh guy also has two arrows, one in the throat and one through the nose, both are instant kills. For the eighth, embedded directly in his carotid artery, an instant kill. The ninth target has one through its left pectoral and straight into the heart, yet another kill. Your last guy you hit in the appendix, not an instant kill, but it will spread toxic waste throughout his system that will lead to an eventual kill."

Dr. Dorian then made his way over to the armored target, not having to remove anything. "I see you hit this guy right in the jaw and it travels further back into his skull, another instant kill. There were no strikes to the armor at all that I can see."

"I knew that my arrow wouldn't have much effect on that kind of armor, so I had to strike him where he had no cover," Jerry replied.

"Well at least you're acknowledging that my guy has the superior armor," Hank chuckled, which Jerry ignored.

_Both arrows have proven their deadly accuracy, leaving our panel heavily conflicted._

"They are just too even," Geoff started, "Each has a very similar design, use and power. I'm going to call this even."

"These two bows are almost identical with only slight variations in power and not by much, I'm gonna call it even," Dr. Dorian seconded.

"In the end it will fall down to who the bowman is and how he handles his bow, but for now I'm gonna call it even," Mack followed.

_In long range weapons, both warriors are even._

_ Coming up, a handheld axe of the Asian steppes goes up against a handheld wrecking ball._

_ Later on, we will see what happens when two legendary barbarians finally go toe to toe in a brutal battle that will rewrite the history books._

XXXXX

_The time has come for both warriors to break out their special weapons. Up first will be Attila the Hun with his Scythian Axe._

"The Scythian Axe was a handheld battle axe that measured in at only 2 and a half feet long and weighed 2 and a half pounds," Dave explained, "It was small, but it was very easy to control and maneuver in addition to being very fast. It had a curved iron head with two edges, one for hacking through your enemy and the other for impaling skulls and helmets."

"Alright Jerry, we're going to test this axe's effective, first against an unarmored ballistic gel head and then against one wearing a steel helmet known to have been used by Genghis Khan," Geoff said motioning to the two busts.

Jerry nodded and got into position.

"Jerry, are you ready?" Geoff shouted.

"Let's do this!" he called back.

"On 3…2…1, cut 'em up!"

Jerry shouted and buried the front end of his axe into the synthetic skull with a sickening crack before delivering three additional strikes. With his first target pulverized he made his way over to the helmeted torso and brought the axe down with a jarring clang and only snapped the head to the size, but not appearing to penetrate. He swung two more times and with both ends, but there was again no penetration and he finally drew the axe back and swung it into the bust's unprotected face.

"You averaged a velocity of 69 mph with your strikes to the unprotected bust," Geoff said as Dr. Dorian approached to assess the damage.

"This guy is dead, plain as day," the trauma doctor said, "In 4 strikes and in less than 15 seconds, you managed to tear the back of this guy's skull completely open, sever his spinal cord and decapitate him."

"With your strikes to the helmeted head though I'm not liking the results," Geoff said, "You only managed 20 pounds of force per square inch; 81 pounds per square inch is the bare minimum amount of force needed to inflict a lethal skull fracture."

"However, with the velocity and force at which you struck, it is my assumption that you could stun and possibly concuss your enemy," Dr. Dorian said, observing the blow to the bust's face.

"I still don't think Attila would be able to win the fight if he can't get past Khan's armor," Hank spoke up, "My special weapon would plow right through leather lamellar."

_Genghis Khan responds with the iron flanged mace._

"The mace has already been tested on this show, yet it hasn't gone up against leather lamellar," Geoff explained, "Hank, we've set up an armored ballistic gel torso for you outfitted in the lamellar worn by Attila the Hun and in addition, it carries his wooden shield with a leather covering. We want you to deliver two strikes, one to his plated chest and the other to the shield."

"You got it," Hank nodded.

"On 3…2…1, bludgeon 'em!" Geoff shouted.

Drawing the mace backward, Hank swings it as hard as he can into the chest plate before drawing back again and slamming into the shield, breaking off a small portion of it.

"Very nice," Geoff spoke.

Dr. Dorian went over to assess the damage, slowly removing the shield and checking the shock patch underneath, "You managed to generate over 250 psi to the shield smash, that's definitely going to be a shattered forearm."

He then slowly removed the lamellar and checked the shock patch underneath, "With your shot to the breastplate I'm seeing over 200 psi, definitely a lot of broken bones and internal bleeding. Would it kill? I would say it would take either a direct head shot or repeated body shots to get the job done."

_Both special weapons have proven their deadliness, but where do our panelists stand?_

"I'm with the mace on this one," Dr. Dorian started, "Attila's armor would do nothing to defend against its bludgeoning capabilities, edge mace."

"I disagree and am going with the Scythian Axe on this one," Geoff countered, "It was a lot faster than I expected and with it you have more options thanks to its double-sided head. My edge goes to the axe."

The tiebreaker fell down to Mack.

"Unlike the dolabra from before, the Scythian Axe was intended for combative purposes and as Geoff points out, despite its likely struggles that will follow against Khan's steel armor, it still has more options. My edge goes with the axe," Mack concluded.

_In special weapons, Attila the Hun takes the edge with the Scythian Axe._

_Coming up, our panelists gauge the X-factors of each warrior and then after that, we finally have our battle to determine who is THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!_

XXXXX

_And now Mack will gauge the X-factors of each warrior._

"Once again we will start out with generalship and while it was very close, we gave it to Genghis in the end. He was able to unite a bunch of small tribes together to help begin a conquest that would result in the largest continuous empire in all of recorded history. We gave him a 90 to Attila's 88."

"For strategy it was another very close call as both these men knew how to unnerve their enemies and were masters of mounted warfare, but based upon the fact that he was able to conquer more in his lifetime, we once again give it to Genghis. We gave him a 90 to Attila's 84."

"Logistics was another huge factor and with both of these warriors constantly being on the move, they needed to be stocked to the teeth for months at an end and they were able to gather it from those they conquered. We ranked them evenly with an even 88."

"For physicality, again this was another very close call given that these men were constantly on the move and spent hours at a time on horseback. However, because of his heavier armor and slightly larger size, we gave Genghis a razor thin edge with an 87 to Attila's 86."

"Endurance was another key factor and again it was another factor where again it was very hard to decide given both these men were constantly on the move through some of the worst conditions possible, so once again we ranked them dead even with an 88."

"Lastly, we have audacity and both these men were some of the most daring of their day. Genghis was known to invade areas where others said he would be defeated, but Attila was bold enough to go back on a treaty he made with the Pope, then the most powerful man on Earth. We gave Attila a 94 to Khan's 88."

_Our scientists and weapons experts are done testing the results and the time has come to decide who will be the victor. To ensure the battle won't be decided by a single lucky blow, the battle will be simulated one thousand times in a duel to the death._

_Who will win a battle between two of history's most bloodthirsty barbarian rulers?_

_ The battle will be fought in a 5-on-5 encounter where Khan will be accompanied by 4 Mongolian horsemen all clad in leather lamellar and leather helmets, but will carry a shield similar to his, whereas Attila will be accompanied by 4 Hunnic horsemen, all of whom will be wearing identical armor and carrying shields similar to his own._

"In the end there can be only one. Let's find out," Mack said.

XXXXX

On the dry Mongolian steppe, Genghis Khan and four of his most trusted men had stopped to set up camp following a day of nonstop traveling. Right now they were relaxing around the campfire and enjoying their meals while swapping stories of their conquests. They still kept their armor on as a safety precaution after barely surviving a recent attack from a rival warlord's party the day earlier.

**Genghis Khan: 5**

They share a hearty laughter amongst themselves, which is interrupted by the whinny of a horse from a distance. Reacting on instinct, Genghis rises to his feet with his hand on the pommel of his Turko-Mongol Saber. His teeth bare and he shouts for his men to ready themselves for battle.

On the nearby hill stands Attila the Hun with four of his own horsemen, the rival barbarian's teeth bared as he raises the Sword of Mars into the air and shouts for his men to charge.

**Attila the Hun: 5**

The Mongols barely have time to react as Attila's mounted archers charge towards them, raising their composite bows and unleashing a flurry of arrows upon them. Genghis and most of his men make it to their horses in time, but one of the Mongols isn't so lucky and ends up taking an arrow that strikes him in his right temple and travels all the way through his head, the tip coming out the other side.

**Genghis Khan: 4 – Attila the Hun: 5**

Just as Genghis finally mounts his horse, the Huns have reached his camp, but he and his men are ready as one of them raises a recurve bow and manages to fire an arrow into the throat of an oncoming Hunnic raider, sending the man collapsing to the ground with a bone-breaking thud.

**Genghis Khan: 4 – Attila the Hun: 4**

The now mounted Mongols race away from the camp in an attempt to create some distance between themselves and their Hunnic adversaries, both sides raising their bows and firing arrows back and forth. Genghis himself was struck in the chest by an arrow, yet it bounced of his steel lamellar and his men were able to block several with their shields, but one finds himself struck in the arm and angrily rips it out.

Meanwhile, another Mongol warrior withdrew his jida and charged head on towards another Hunnic warrior as the man struggled to reload his composite bow. The Hun saw him coming and tried to get out of the way, but it was too late and he found himself impaled by the lance.

**Genghis Khan: 4 – Attila the Hun: 3**

Elsewhere in the battle a Mongol had withdrawn his own Turko-Mongol Saber, whereas another Hun would withdrew his Scythian Axe and the two of them rained down blows upon another while struggling to stay mounted on their horses, most of their blows striking each other's shields. Eventually the Mongol would get his saber stuck in the edge of the Hun's shield, enabling the rival horseman to rip him from his horse and send him falling to the ground. With his opponent grounded, the Hun dismounted and placed a foot to the man's throat, driving the axe into his face.

**Genghis Khan: 3 – Attila the Hun: 3**

It was a short-lived victory for the Hunnic horseman as he heard galloping coming up from behind him and he turned to be met by Genghis Khan swinging his saber downward and into his throat.

**Genghis Khan: 3 – Attila the Hun: 2**

Attila and his last man once again drew their composite bows and fired their arrows simultaneously upon what remained of the Mongol horde, striking one man in his calf while Attila's arrow went higher and struck a man in his chest, piercing his lamellar breastplate and tearing through his pectoral into his heart.

**Genghis Khan: 2 – Attila the Hun: 2**

The battle was now evened out and the warriors charged towards one another with their weapons drawn. The jarring clang of metal on metal rang out as Attila exchanged blows with the Mongol horseman and Genghis' saber clashed with the Hun's Scythian Axe, the two men locking into a struggle as they struggled to stay mounted on their respective steeds.

Eventually the injured Mongol horseman broke away and tried to create some space between himself and Attila, but the Hunnic chieftain kept on his tail every step of the way and before the man could turn around, Attila was raising the Sword of Mars and slicing his throat.

**Genghis Khan: 1 – Attila the Hun: 2**

In the back and forth struggle between Genghis Khan and the Hunnic horseman, the Mongol chieftain would soon emerge victorious, hacking into the man's arm and causing him to drop his Scythian Axe before raising his saber again and slicing into the man's throat.

**Genghis Khan: 1 – Attila the Hun: 1**

It was now down to two men, both savage warriors staring intently towards one another with their blood-drenched swords in hand. It was now or never and with a collective shout, both men charged one another.

With their horses galloping nonstop, both warriors raised their swords and made their move, Khan striking Attila in the chest and Attila going a little higher, striking the Mongol warlord in the head with a jarring clang.

Khan's steel helmet had been knocked from his head, but otherwise he was alright and struggling to regain his wits following the skull shaking impact. Attila's leather lamellar breastplate had saved him, only a few of its rivets chipped away, yet he was still sore from the impact.

The Hunnic warrior would be first to recover and he reached for his lasso, looking over to see his hated enemy still reeling. He began his charge with the lasso twirling over his head and at the last second went to toss it.

Khan could hear his enemy's horse galloping and looked up just in time to see the man charging at him with the lasso in hand and tossing it at him. Shooting his hand out, he managed to catch the rope and a tug-of-war ensued, which would eventually end with Khan emerging the victor and pulling Attila from his horse. The Hunnic warlord wouldn't be down for long and reached up to yank his adversary from his own horse.

The Mongol warrior doesn't land far from his horse and he reaches over for the iron flanged mace he kept strapped to his saddle. Attila sees this and quickly runs over to retrieve the Sword of Mars and a shield from one of his fallen men before bounding towards him.

Drawing his arms back Genghis aims a swing at Attila's head, but the Hunnic warrior ducks and swings his sword at him, but it bounces harmlessly off of Khan's steel lamellar. Undeterred, he goes for another swing, but Khan swings his mace lower and catches the Hun in his side, hard enough to crack a few of his ribs and leave him coughing up blood. Again drawing the mace backward, Khan swings again, but Attila brings his shield up to catch the blow. Unfortunately for Attila, the shield does little to protect him and his forearm is shattered, forcing him to drop his shield.

Hurt, but refusing to back down, Attila again swings his sword and catches Khan in the forearm, forcing him to drop his mace.

Royally pissed off, the Mongol warlord charges towards Attila and tackles him to the ground, drawing his fist back and punching him in the face. He manages to punch him three more times before the Hunnic warlord somehow manages to get a second wind and rolls him over onto his back and head butts him in the face, breaking his nose.

With his opponent stunned, Attila struggles to pull himself back to his feet and spots his sword. As he scrambles to retrieve it, Khan regains his wits and finds a Turko-Mongol Saber lying near one of his fallen men and he quickly scoops it up. Before Attila can grab his sword, Khan shoots himself out and slashes into the Hun's hamstring, leaving him collapsing to the dirt in agony.

Rising back to his feet, Khan reaches down and grabs his suffering adversary by the hair, bringing his blade down one final time.

**Genghis Khan: 1 – Attila the Hun: 0**

Victorious, Genghis Khan raises his hated enemy's head into the air and lets out a triumphant cry.

XXXXX

Winner: Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan:

Turko-Mongol Saber: 174

Jida: 230

Mongol Recurve Bow: 90

Iron Flanged Mace: 105

Total: 599

Attila the Hun:

Sword of Mars: 170

Lasso: 10

Hunnic Composite Bow: 90

Scythian Axe: 131

Total: 401

_In a battle of two vicious raiders, Genghis Khan emerged successful with 599 kills to Attila's 401. Both warriors proved evenly matched in the long range category, each scoring 90 kills with their respective bows, but in the end, the brutal combination of Khan's jida lance and his mace proved too much for the Hunnic warlord._

"Genghis Khan won because ultimately he proved to be the more skilled of the two. No matter how good Attila was with his archery, he still struggled to get past Khan's steel lamellar, which ultimately proved to be another saving grace for him in the end," Geoff explained.

(Genghis Khan is shown riding to the next Mongol settlement on horseback, Attila the Hun's severed head hanging from the strap of his horse's saddle. In addition to his enemy's head, he has claimed the Sword of Mars as a trophy, a warning sign to any rival tribes who may try rising against him in the future.)

XXXXX

_Next time on 'Deadliest Warrior,' it's a showdown between two legendary strategists:_

Sun Tzu: The influential scholar who literally wrote the book on warfare…

Vs.

Julius Caesar: Rome's greatest leader who fought for his country in war and politics.

_Who will be…THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR?_

Author's Note: Normally I don't do this because I'm constantly changing ideas for this story either based upon suggestions from reviewers or realizations I come up with by myself, but for the first time ever I'm going to reveal 3 future fights I have planned out for this story:

**Oda Nobunaga vs. Vlad the Impaler**

**French Musketeer vs. Swiss Guard**

**Comanche vs. Hunnic Horseman**

I believe that's everything so until next time, read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying SPREAD THE SICKNESS, ONE MIND AT A TIME! \m/


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